Founded in 1865, WPI was one of the United States' first engineering and technology universities and now has 14 academic departments with over 50 bachelor's, master's, and Ph.D. degree programs.

[6] Worcester Polytechnic Institute was founded by self-made tinware manufacturer, John Boynton, and Ichabod Washburn, owner of the world's largest wire mill.

Boynton envisioned science schooling that would elevate the social position of the mechanic and manufacturer, but not necessarily teach the skills needed to become either.

By chance it happened that Ichabod Washburn had previously consulted Sweetser about the proper way to actualize his own vision.

[7] Although disappointed to learn of Boynton's offer to create a college, Washburn claimed: "I prefer to be imposed upon by others rather than by myself in withholding where I ought to give."

With the help of Sweetser's diplomacy and wisdom, Washburn agreed to build, furnish, and endow a "Department of Practical Mechanics" at Boynton's school.

It told of a "liberal proposal to found a Free School for Industrial Science" in Worcester and called for a meeting later in the month.

Further funding and land grants for the university were given by Stephen Salisbury II, who was an influential merchant and later served as the first president of the institute's board of directors.

[8] In response to this anonymous request, more than 225 Worcester citizens and the workers at 20 of the city's factories and machine shops contributed to the construction of the original building.

The Storke administration also launched a capital campaign that resulted in the creation of the George C. Gordon Library, added residence halls, an auditorium, and a modern chemistry building.

[15] Through the six month period from July 2021 to January 2022, seven WPI undergraduate and graduate students lost their lives, making local and national news.

[17] Following the third death, which occurred in September 2021, WPI set up an emergency mental health task force, and requested an independent review by nearby Riverside Trauma Center.

[16] Set in an urban environment in New England's second largest city,[18] WPI's main campus is entirely privately owned, ungated, and uninterrupted by public roads.

[19][20] WPI's school colors, Crimson and Gray, were inspired by the natural pigmentation of a beech tree's bark and foliage that grew near the foot of Boynton Hill.

[23] A large bronze statue of Gompei the Goat stands at the quad side of the Bartlett Center, WPI's admission building.

The original bronze goat head is located in the Skull Tomb, on a shelf with carved rocks and empty liquor bottles.

Controversy emerged surrounding the man's donations, which totaled $63 million across his lifetime, when his wife and children alleged in public and legal filings that he had participated in various criminal practices, most notably stashing money overseas during his divorce and attempting to hire a hitman to kill his son.

[29] At WPI, the opportunity to complete significant project work off campus is an integral element of an academic program that emphasizes the practical application of knowledge to meaningful technical and societal problems.

Typically, students work under faculty guidance in small teams at Project Centers to address problems posed by external agencies and organizations.

"The evaluation of the 650 undergraduate institutions is based exclusively on the quality of the education they provide, the experiences of the students and their post-graduate success and financial well-being.

WPI's 145,000-square-foot (13,500 m2), LEED-certified building Sports and Recreation Center was dedicated in 2012, and includes racquetball and squash courts, jogging track, and swimming pool.

[citation needed] In 2018 Tech News, formerly known as The Towers and Newspeak, was the current name of a student-run newspaper founded in 1909, with an online version and physical copies produced.

[51] Founded in 1909 by Oliver B. Jacobs and a group of 40 other men, the club has a historically significant role in the early age of wireless communications both in the United States and the world.

[53] W1YK, the official Federal Communications Commission-licensed callsign of the club, and its members participate in the American Radio Relay League Sweepstakes each year, including the November Sweeps.