President Wickenden Term, 1929-1947
Depression Years, 1929-1936
William E. Wickende became president. Wickenden came to Case from the Society for the Promotion of Engineering Education.
The late October, 1929, stock market crash was not as immediately catastrophic as a fire, but its prolonged shocks, such as bank closings followed by the Depression's dismal years, shook the foundations of a School that depended largely upon income from an endowment invested in securities and real estate. The employment markets for the graduates from Case declined.
1930-1936 A graduate of the early thirties said that President Wickenden laid great stress upon student activities and a well rounded academic program. "He often stated that an engineer should be just as much at home in a tuxedo as in overalls and that the hours between 4 :00 in the afternoon and 8 :00 the following morning were just as important in the educational process as those spent in the classroom. This was a marked change from the previous educational philosophy which was concerned almost entirely with imparting scientific and technical knowledge." >