Cornell Engineering's Tradition of Innovation began with the drive and determination, the creativity and commitment of Ezra Cornell himself.
Cornell was born on January 11, 1807, in Westchester, New York. Opportunities for formal education were limited, but Cornell, with an inquisitive mind and a penchant for hard work, learned by doing — an experiential form of education that would inform his later years.
As an adult Cornell worked at many occupations: carpenter, mechanic, farmer, salesman, always with a sense of invention and a vision for the future. In the 1840s he purchased the patent on a plow, which led to his association with Samuel F. B. Morse. Cornell invented a machine that would dig a trench and lay cable for Morse’s telegraph lines.
The decision was later made to string wires above ground, but Cornell was by then caught up in the potential of this new technology. He became a principal figure in the fledging telegraph industry. When several companies were consolidated as Western Union in 1855, Cornell was a major shareholder and a wealthy man.
Determined to put the money to good use, Cornell first built a public library in Ithaca, and then pursued his bigger dream: founding a university, where he envisioned that students would learn practical skills alongside the traditional liberal arts.
Cornell Engineering is firmly rooted in Ezra’s vision: his sense of invention, his focus on the future, his belief in hands-on learning, his dream of a well-rounded education available to anyone. We invite you to explore our history, from the Ezra’s earliest years to the cutting-edge research on campus today: a Tradition of Innovation.
