An Enduring Quest

This wide-ranging book tells the story of industrial engineering, its genesis in the Industrial Revolution, its explosive growth in the twentieth century, and its relevance today. Vital contributions of the trailblazers are described, from Robert Owen and Eli Whitney in colonial times, to the scientific management champions Frederick Taylor and Frank and Lillian Gilbreth a century later. The author chronicles the evolution of the industrial engineering program at Purdue, which was crucial to the University's founding, and he considers the future direction of the discipline, suggesting ways for it to fulfill its quest of providing essential products and services in a global, sustainable, and equitable way.