On May 6, 2025, Cornell University inducted 45 students into the Order of the Engineer, a national honorary society that recognizes engineering students who pledge to uphold the highest standards of ethics, community service and continuing education in their professional practice.
Cornell’s ceremony was initiated by Charlie Trautmann, Ph.D. ’83 and an adjunct professor in Cornell’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Trautmann discovered the university’s historical connection to the Order while reviewing archival files from Cornell’s American Society of Civil Engineers student chapter. He shared his findings with his students, who unanimously expressed interest in reviving the tradition and holding ceremonies annually moving forward.
According to the organization’s website, “the Order of the Engineer was initiated in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer. The first ceremony was held on June 4, 1970, at Cleveland State University. Since then, similar ceremonies have been held across the United States at which graduate and registered engineers are invited to accept the Obligation of the Engineer. The Obligation is a creed similar to the oath attributed to Hippocrates and sets forth an ethical code. The Obligation likewise contains parts of the canon of ethics of major engineering societies.”
During the ceremony, students received a stainless-steel ring to wear on the fifth finger of their working hand as a reminder of the trust society places in engineers.