10/05/2026
Have you ever wondered how Electrical & Computer Engineering at Ohio State got its start?
The story begins in 1884, when Professor Thomas C. Mendenhall advocated for teaching applied electricity and brought two dynamo machines into the Physics Lab in University Hall. That same year, Ohio State offered its first course in electrical engineering.
Over the decades, the department grew from early electrical experiments to work in radio, communications, electronics, and space research. In 2004, the Department of Electrical Engineering officially became the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering.
Swipe through for a look at some of the milestones that shaped ECE at Ohio State over the past 140+ years.
Want to learn more about the history of ECE? Explore the full timeline on our website: https://go.osu.edu/ecehistory