[1] The college was named after the civil engineering graduate, Harold Dwight Look, an army veteran of World War II who later founded a construction company on the U.S.

For the next several years, the curriculum focused on practical training to assist students in finding industrial and vocational work.

Following the war, the department's enrollment continued to increase, and it began offering courses in power, industrial and railway, or transportation engineering.

In the 1930s, these options were eliminated, while others, including aerodynamics, air-conditioning and physical metallurgy began to be offered.

The 2010 U.S. News & World Report[8] ranked the college third in engineering research expenditures, with $248.4 million spent.