Purdue University Motion and Time Study Laboratory records

In the early 1900s, there was a growing interest in the field of industrial engineering and management. To accommodate this interest, in 1914 the Purdue College of Engineering developed an Industrial Management option for students and faculty. In the 1920s, the Industrial Management program was led by Frank Hockema and later George H. Shepard. Time and motion studies became a highly utilized method in research industrial engineering and management.... Shepard also began teaching time and motion study courses in the College of Engineering. In the 1930s, Jack E. Walters further expanded the Industrial Management program by securing funding, equipment, and room 116 in Heavilon Hall, for the establishment of the Motion and Time Study Laboratory.

In 1935, President Elliot and Dean of Engineering Andrey Potter invited Lillian Gilbreth to join the faculty at Purdue. Lillian Gilbreth was renowned for her expertise in industrial management and time and motion studies. Gilbreth worked closely with H. Barrett Rogers, and later his successor Marvin E. Mundel, to expand the Motion and Time Study Laboratory and curriculum at Purdue. Gilbreth also taught in the School of Home Economics. The School of Home Economics’ faculty and students were also conducting motion and time study research.

In 1937, Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Processes, and Engineering Drawing were placed under the new General Engineering Department. The new department led to the hiring of additional faculty including H. Barrett Rogers in 1938. Before coming to Purdue, Rogers was the supervisor of time study at Westinghouse Electric Company. Rogers taught time and motion studies courses and led the Motion and Time Study Laboratory. In 1940, the Purdue Time and Motion Study Laboratory presented their motion and time study films at the National Time and Motion Study clinic in Chicago.

After H. Barrett Rogers’ departure to Northwestern University in 1942, Marvin E. Mundel was hired as his replacement. Prior to his appointment at Purdue Mundel had studied under time and motion studies experts, David Porter at New York University and Ralph M. Barnes at the University of Iowa. Under Mundel’s leadership, the Time and Motion Study Laboratory produced several motion study films for use in research and teaching. Mundel also expanded the curriculum and collaborated with other departments in time and motion studies.

In 1942, the General Education Board launched a national program to study work simplification and workplace efficiency in the agricultural industry. Twelve land-grant colleges participated in the project, including Colorado State College, University of Florida, University of Illinois, University of Kentucky, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, Rutgers University, Cornell University, Oregon University, University of Vermont, State College of Washington, and Purdue University. The General Education Board appointed Purdue’s Dean of the Graduate School, Ernest C. Young, as the director of the National Farm Work Simplification Project. Lowell S. Hardin from Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics was appointed as assistant director. The Farm Work Simplification Laboratory was launched in January 1942, with $87,000 in initial funding from the General Education Board. Purdue University was specifically tasked with researching tomato peeling, picking, canning, factory operation, and hog production. An additional $7,000 was allocated for work simplification research in the field of home economics.The laboratory had no university budget and consisted of an interdisciplinary group that was interested in farm work simplification. Facilities and resources were obtained through a cooperative agreement with the Agricultural Experiment Station, the Engineering Experiment Station, the Department of Agricultural Economics, and the Motion and Time Study Laboratory. The director of the laboratory was Ernest C. Young, Dean of the Graduate School. Professor of Industrial Engineering Marvin Mundel was heavily involved with launching the laboratory and overseeing the project. Other laboratory participants included L.S. Hardin, J.E. Oberholtzer, and L.J. Haverkamp.The grant agreement with the General Education Board concluded on July 1, 1945.

In 1946, the General Engineering department was reorganized with three sections including Industrial Engineering, Manufacturing Processes, and Engineering Drawing. Robert W. Field chaired the Industrial Engineering section which contained the Motion and Time Study Laboratory and associated faculty and curriculum. As part of the reorganization Harold Amrine was hired and he taught motion and time study courses alongside Robert W. Field and Mundel.

In 1950, Mundel replaced Field as chair of Industrial Engineering, but he left in 1952 due to Dean Potter’s refusal to allow the Industrial Engineering section to be spun off as its own entity. Amrine replaced Mundel as chair of Industrial Engineering. In 1955, the department of General Engineering was discontinued. The Industrial Engineering section was spun off to create a new School of Industrial Engineering and Management. The new school consisted of two departments: the Industrial Engineering led, by Amrine and Industrial Management and Transportation, by Emanuel Weller. The Motion and Time Study Laboratory was placed in the Industrial Engineering department under Amrine. In 1956, the Laboratory was discontinued and partitioned to make room for a new Industrial Engineering Library and office spaces.