The first director of the "Hammond Center," 1941-1946, Harry C. Short was an Iowan with degrees from the Universities of Dubuque and Iowa. An elementary and high school instructor in Illinois and teacher of industrial psychology, Short oversaw courses in mathematics and chemical, mechanical and general engineering for wartime students of the Calumet Region. Nearly all the classes met at night eventually establishing a permanent "Division of Technical Extension." In 1947, the centers became the "Calumet Extension" and were stewarded from a small office in Hammond. Harold Short left in 1947 after recommending that the scattershot courses offered by the Extension find a permanent home in Lake County, Indiana.
Millard Ellsworth Gyte was District Representative, Director of the Calumet Center from 1947 until his death in 1958. Gyte was born in Hartington, Nebraska, in 1903 and earned a bachelor's at Nebraska State Teachers College. He taught in rural schools in South Dakota and became a teacher-superintendent of Denby, Shannon County, South Dakota. Coming to Purdue in search of a teaching position, Gyte was instead offered the directorship of the Calumet Extension.
A hard and dedicated worker, meticulous, fair and considerate, he also, according to Purdue Calumet Professor Sigrid Stark, "really put this school on its foundation-on its feet with his devotion, complete devotion to the job." His accomplishments were many. He secured a home for Purdue Calumet, established a university faculty, founded a campus newspaper, advised students and much more. Gyte died in 1958, but his memory is maintained by the Millard E. Gyte Science Building and by a generous scholarship endowed by his widow, Christina.
Carl H. Elliott was from Columbus, Indiana. He entered Indiana University in 1939 and served as an Army Air Force bandsman during World War II. He completed a bachelor's degree in 1946 and an M.B.A. a year later and began his teaching career at Miami University of Ohio. Elliott then earned a Ph.D. in industrial psychology at Purdue.
Elliott was a well liked promoter and believed strongly in good community relations for the university. He was said to hire good people and let them do their jobs. The university grew through the 1960's under Elliott's stewardship culminating in 1967 with Purdue Calumet's attainment of four year degree-granting status. Six new buildings were completed during his tenure. He was responsible for expansion, renovation and authorization of Purdue Calumet facilities totaling an estimated $20 million.
Richard Combs who would go on to become PUC's first Chancellor said of Elliott, "Pure and simply, Carl Elliott laid the foundation for what Purdue University Calumet has become. The perspective, insight and direction he demonstrated continues to reap fruit for the entire Calumet Region." In 1974, Elliott accepted the presidency of Tri-State University after guiding Purdue Calumet for 15 years.
Born and raised in South Dakota, Richard J. Combs received degrees in mathematics and educational administration from South Dakota University. Following a four-year period as a public school teacher and administrator, he joined the Purdue faculty in 1955. Combs became chancellor in 1975, the same year the campus was granted academic autonomy from Purdue's main campus.
Under his leadership enrollment grew from 5,200 to nearly 8,000, faculty increased from 140 to 260, the number of associate, bachelor's and master's degrees conferred surpassed 19,000. Among the academic programs added under him were graduate programs in nursing and communications and undergraduate programs in engineering, engineering technology, restaurant, hotel and institutional management and the liberal arts and sciences.
Combs retired in 1990 and was named Chancellor Emeritus in 1991.
James Yackel, spent 10 years as Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet. It was said that his leadership positioned Purdue Calumet to play an invaluable role in northwest Indiana's response to the challenges of the 21st century. A highly principled man, his unassuming leadership style advanced the quality of the university's educational programs and its stature within the Calumet Region's business and industrial communities.
A native of Sanborn, Minnesota, Yackel was educated at his state university, receiving a Ph.D. in 1964. He taught mathematics at Dartmouth for two years, then moved to Purdue at West Lafayette. He came to Purdue Calumet in 1987 as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Under his guidance, increases were seen in enrollment, including a 10 percent surge since 1990, student scholarship dollars, partnership activity with businesses and industry and off campus access opportunities to higher education. He retired in July, 2001.
Howard Cohen became Chancellor of Purdue University Calumet in 2001. He was the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Cohen also held an academic appointment as a professor of humanistic studies.
Cohen received his bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Minnesota in 1966. He went on to earn master's and doctorate degrees in the same discipline from Harvard in 1970 and 1971. He joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts-Boston as an assistant professor in 1971 and had risen to the post of associate provost when he accepted the deanship at the University of Wisconsin's Parkside campus in 1991.
After two years as dean of the School of Liberal Arts, he spent two years as interim provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. He was selected Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Green Bay in 1996. He also directed an assessment-review of academic programs for the Green Bay campus of 5,500 students
Chancellor Cohen stewards Purdue Calumet into the future: "If we realize the vision for Purdue Calumet, we will transform our region and position it for a bright future."
Some information gleefully
stolen from "Purdue University Calumet: The First Fifty Years" by PUC Professor Lance Trusty
For more information see the The Archives and Special Collections Office located in Room C236 in the southwest corner of the Library on the second floor of the Student Faculty Library Center.
Send comments/suggestions to:
andersro@calumet.purdue.edu
