Milestones 1950 ~ 1975

This twenty-five year period was a time of great expansion for the Department of Engineering, not only in buildings but also in research. It was the only time in the Department's history that government funding was readily available and the Head of Department, John Baker, was ready to make the most of this window of opportunity. Immediately after the Second World War he had put in place proposals for the complete development of the Scroope House site, where the Department remains to this day.

1952	The opening of the main block of the new Baker building by the Duke of Edinburgh. At last every member of the teaching staff had their own room, as well as common rooms, library, administrative offices and Boardroom.
	Control Engineering became established as a separate field of research under the leadership of Mr J.F. Coales. The first research student joined the group in 1953.
1958	The South Wing of the Baker Building was completed and was used to house Aeronautics and the Heat Group. The importance of technological education to the national economy led to a huge expansion in engineering schools all over the country.
1961	Scroope House was demolished and plans put in place for the re-design of the Inglis Block. The design of this was given to Dr Jacques Heyman and Mr R.P.Johnson (later to become Professor Johnson of Warwick University). By this time a code of practice for the plastic design of steelwork had been introduced, which was used for the design of the frames for the first phase of Inglis rebuilding (Inglis A - the Inglis building was to be re-built in five stages, A-E).
1962	The Electrical Sciences Tripos was established on the initiative of Charles Oatley.
1965	The North Wing of the Baker building was opened, the final stage of the site development first proposed in 1946. The North Wing was built using a further extension of the plastic theory and is believed to be the first 'plastic-composite' structure to be erected in the country, using composite steel and concrete members, research on which had begun in 1961. A most important feature was a lecture theatre to seat 334 people, including facilities for closed circuit TV and simultaneous translation.