Purdue is best known academically for science and engineering, including a rich history with the space program. As you'll see, the campus is very green, with lots of tradition. Reminders of the school's athletic nickname, the Boilermakers, in terms of railroad and steelworker imagery are seemingly everywhere. The adjoining commercial district appears smaller than those in other Big Ten towns such as Ann Arbor and Madison, but there are still plenty of places to get some pizza and other favorite foods of college students. Photos of all these Purdue features -- and more -- are shown in the sections below.
Engineering and the Space Program
On the north end of campus sits Purdue's engineering complex, featuring the Gateway to the Future arch.
Neil Armstrong (1930-2012), the first person ever to set foot on the moon, is a Purdue alumnus and accordingly is featured prominently on the campus. There is a Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering (whose design borrows a little too much from the In-N-Out Burger logo for my taste)...
...with a statue of Armstrong in front.
In addition, Armstrong's famous quote upon walking on the moon is depicted on the plaza near the statue. I lacked the photographic equipment to capture the full quotation in one shot in a way that would be readable (this photo I found online doesn't portray a fully readable quote either). Therefore, I photographed the quote in four parts, which allowed me to get close to each part. I then cropped each part and stuck the parts together after the fact. The background is a schematic of the plaza. The final product looks pretty amateurish, I know, but at least you can read the full quote (especially if you click on the picture to enlarge it).
(As a side note, the "a" in "One small step for a man..." is of questionable audibility in the recording of Armstrong's statement. You can check for yourself from an audio clip on the Wikipedia page for Neil Armstrong. As many observers have pointed out, without the "a," then "man" in that context is conceptually equivalent to "mankind" at the end of the quote, ruining the distinction Armstrong was trying to create.)
In all, nearly two dozen Purdue alumni have served as astronauts, including such well-known ones as Gene Cernan and Gus Grissom. An official list appears here, from which it can be seen that all majored in engineering or closely related scientific fields.
Another part of the vast engineering complex is the Materials Science and Electrical Engineering building...
In all, nearly two dozen Purdue alumni have served as astronauts, including such well-known ones as Gene Cernan and Gus Grissom. An official list appears here, from which it can be seen that all majored in engineering or closely related scientific fields.
Another part of the vast engineering complex is the Materials Science and Electrical Engineering building...
Basketball's John Wooden
Not too far from the area recognizing Armstrong is a monument, of sorts, to another famous Purdue alumnus, the legendary basketball coach John Wooden. In 2010, the university named a street on campus after him, John R. Wooden Drive. I took a picture of the street sign and added it to the Wikipedia page for John Wooden (see "Honors" section).
Student Union
The Purdue Memorial Union (below) has many features common to Big Ten student unions, including a bowling alley (not shown), a hotel (shown on the right)...
... and traditionally appointed meeting/study rooms.
Among the food-service options in the Union is Pappy's Sweet Shop.
Another neat feature, located in the lobby, is a detailed model of the campus, shown first with its case and then through the glass for more of a close-up.
Other Parts of Campus
Expansive lawns, towers, statues, sculptures, and fountains abound on the Purdue campus. My favorite is the "Unfinished P," which symbolizes that learning is always a work in progress.
Another popular feature is Loeb Fountain, also known as the "Walk-In Fountain." On the day I went by this fountain, a number of families had brought their children to escape the heat.
Next to Loeb Fountain is Beering Hall (Liberal Arts and Education)...
The Purdue Bell Tower (sometimes also referred to as the Clock Tower) stands within a large grassy area...
Elsewhere, picnic tables are available for enjoying the verdant setting...
Some of the additional academic buildings that caught my eye include the new Bailey Hall for music...
...and Pfendler Hall (Agriculture)...
A lunch spot apart from the Union is the Boiler Bistro. I wonder if the menu includes a Boilerplate? Purdue is one place "boilerplate" presumably would not be a pejorative!
Adjoining Town/Commercial District
One thing Purdue/West Lafayette has in common with Ann Arbor and Madison, however, is that the main drag is State Street.
The bookstore is just off-campus on State Street...
Two venerated establishments nearby are Harry's Chocolate Shop (actually a bar; notice the neon beer logo on the right of the lower picture)...
...and Triple X (or Tri-Chi), actually a burger place...
I'm always on the lookout for some good plain-cheese pizza and Mad Mushroom (known as "Mad Mush") filled the bill...
There's a lot of new-apartment construction taking place a few blocks from campus, perhaps signaling enrollment growth...
