DURHAM – Duke University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science will become the first department at the university to be named in honor of a benefactor, following approval by the Board of Trustees.
The Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science recognizes the transformative contributions of the late Thomas Lord, chairman and CEO of LORD Corporation, who established the Lord Foundation of North Carolina (LFNC) with $40 million in stock holdings in 1984 to support research, teaching and programming in engineering and related programs at Duke University.
Thomas Lord (image via Duke University)
Over 35 years, LFNC generated more than $47 million for a wide variety of programs and activities in the Pratt School of Engineering.
In 2019, following the sale of LORD Corporation to Parker-Hannifin, Duke and three other research institutions selected as beneficiaries by Thomas Lord received a total distribution of over $1 billion through their respective foundations.
The $261 million allocation to Duke was designated for the university’s endowment to provide a permanent source of long-term support for science and technology education and research at the Pratt School of Engineering, as well as financial aid for undergraduate students across Duke. It was the largest single outside contribution to the fund since the founding of the university in 1924.
“Tom Lord’s original investment has enabled the remarkable evolution of engineering at Duke over the decades, and his support continues to provide an invaluable source of flexible support to fuel our education and research missions,” said Vincent Price, president of Duke University. “We are delighted to create our first named department at Duke as a permanent way to honor his vision and impact.”
The Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) was selected for naming in part to recognize the LORD Corporation’s roots in mechanical engineering innovation, as well as the strong ties between the company and two former Duke Engineering deans, George Pearsall and Earl Dowell (currently the William Holland Hall Distinguished Professor in MEMS).
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(C) Duke University
