Webb Institute is a

private college Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grants. D ...

focused on engineering and located in Glen Cove, New York. Each graduate of Webb Institute earns a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in

naval architecture Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and ...

and

marine engineering Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circl ...

. Successful candidates for admission receive full tuition for four years. Webb Institute is noted in the marine industry for its unique emphasis on ship design, systems engineering, and practical work experience.

History

Webb Institute of Naval Architecture was founded in 1889 by industrialist and philanthropist William Henry Webb, who had established his career as a preeminent shipbuilder in the 19th century. He recognized the increasing role of science and engineering in the field of

ship design Naval architecture, or naval engineering, is an engineering discipline incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the engineering design process, shipbuilding, maintenance, and ...

, which had long been seen as more of an art form. Webb felt that the ship designers of the future would need to be skilled in structural and mechanical engineering and other scientific disciplines. The institute graduated its first class in 1893 and continues to educate students in naval architecture and marine engineering.

Founding and early history

On April 2, 1889, the state of New York incorporated Webb's Academy and Home for Shipbuilders as a non-profit institution. Webb had provided the academy with an endowment presumed to be sufficient to allow the institution to be self-supporting in perpetuity. It was intended to serve not only as an educational institution for future naval architects but also as a retirement home for aged shipbuilders. Webb commissioned New York architect Arthur P. Jennings to design a building for the institution to be built on of land on a bluff overlooking the Harlem and Hudson rivers in the Bronx. Construction commenced in 1890 and was completed in 1893. The building was designed in the Romanesque Revival style and was built of New York brownstone. It was intended to be "a romantic version of a medieval castle", with turrets, fanciful carving, and other flourishes. This facility was used for 50 years. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the institute was closely associated with the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...

as a training center for naval officers.

Move and expansion

By 1945, the Board of Trustees determined that the Bronx campus was no longer suitable, lacking certain laboratory facilities, and ultimately sold it for a considerable sum. The site was redeveloped as the Fordham Hill Apartment complex. In November 1945, the institute purchased its current home: The Braes, the former country estate of

Herbert L. Pratt Herbert Lee Pratt (November 21, 1871 – February 3, 1945) was an American businessman and a leading figure in the United States oil industry. In 1923, he became head of Standard Oil of New York; his father Charles Pratt was a founder of Astr ...

, in Glen Cove on the North Shore of Long Island. Designed by

James Brite James Brite (September 13, 1864''U.S. Passport Applications, 1795-1925'' – February 6, 1942) was an American architect. Early life James Brite was born in Pasquotank County, North Carolina, the son of George W. Brite and Mary Richardson.https: ...

and constructed between 1912 and 1914, the main house had a distinct H-shaped layout and Jacobean, Tudor, and Renaissance-influenced design elements that made it distinct among Long Island estates of the era. It was the largest of the six Pratt estates in Glen Cove. Conversion work began in 1946. In April 1947, classes began at the new campus in Glen Cove. The main building had been renovated to include classrooms, dormitories, and offices. A model basin and gymnasium were constructed elsewhere on the campus. The main building was renamed Stevenson Taylor Hall in honor of the charter member and president of the Board of Trustees (1900–1926) of the institute. Through the conversion, the ground floor of Stevenson Taylor Hall retained much of the original 1915-era decor. A modern library and auditorium were added to the campus in 1971. Webb first admitted women as students in 1974. Webb Institute was used for the exterior shots of

Wayne Manor Wayne Manor Estate (or simply Wayne Manor) is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also the superhero Batman. The residence is depicted as a large mansio ...

in the 1995 film ''

Batman Forever ''Batman Forever'' (on-screen title is simply ''Forever'') is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character Batman by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The third installment o ...

'', again in the 1997 film '' Batman & Robin'', and for interior and exterior shots for the 2014 TV series '' Gotham''. The Webb Institute reprised its earlier film role as Wayne Manor for the 2019 film '' Joker''. It was also featured in the 1998 film '' Great Expectations''. Interior and exterior shots appeared in the 2015 TV series '' Limitless'' in Season 1, Episode 14.

Administrators

There have been 18 administrators of the institute:Dunbaugh 246

Academics

The student body of Webb Institute typically numbers around 90, with 20% being female. Webb currently has 12 full-time faculty members and no teaching assistants. Students have high access to professors, who routinely make themselves available at most hours. Adjunct faculty from local colleges teach some humanities courses at Webb such as Political Philosophy and Japanese. There are four classrooms, one for each class. The school is atypical as the professors, rather than students, rotate to each classroom because of its small size. The front portion of the classroom is dedicated to lecture hours, while the rear has rows of drafting tables, one for each student, along with bookshelves and couches for 24-7 personalized study space. The centerpiece of Webb's academic facilities is the -long model ship model basin, which is frequently used by students and faculty alike for experiments and research. Webb Institute has its own physics and chemistry laboratories, an extensive library, an engineering lab for mechanical and electrical experiments, a carpentry shop, and a machine shop. Students have limited around-the-clock access to these facilities. There is an emphasis throughout Webb's academic program on hands-on experience, and several classes require conducting experiments or building and testing models. Webb Institute's coursework is intense. Students spend up to 5 hours per day in lecture and can spend several hours per day working outside of class. During the mandatory

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

period from January through February each year, students seek positions in the maritime industry, including shipyards, design offices, and aboard merchant vessels. All seniors are required to complete a senior thesis. Seniors are strongly encouraged to take the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, in which they usually perform exceptionally well. 85% of incoming students make it to graduation. Many graduates establish careers in the maritime industry, with 100% job placement. Graduates also forge careers in other engineering fields or find success in finance or law. About a third of each graduating class goes on to pursue an advanced degree. Webb has an active alumni association which supports graduates, fosters a thriving social network, and maintains an alumni fund. The alumni giving rate is over 70%, one of the highest rates in the United States. Because of the founder's endowment and the high alumni giving rate, students who are U.S. citizens are not charged

tuition Tuition payments, usually known as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in Commonwealth English, are fees charged by education institutions for instruction or other services. Besides public spending (by governments and other public bo ...

at Webb. Students pay for room and board, books, and various fees. The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded after four years of "total immersion" study, which includes several months of job experience through internship periods. The institute maintains close relationships with the nearby

United States Merchant Marine Academy The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA or Kings Point) is a United States service academy in Kings Point, New York. It trains its midshipmen (as students at the academy are called) to serve as officers in the United States Merchant ...

and

State University of New York Maritime College State University of New York Maritime College (SUNY Maritime College) is a public maritime college in the Bronx, New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. Founded in 1874, the SUNY Maritime College was the fir ...

, along with Cooper Union.

Winter Work

Winter Work is Webb Institute's term for its unique internship periods. Webb students are required to work in certain areas of the marine industry for 8 weeks during the months of January and February. Freshmen act as apprentices/mechanics in shipyards or boatyards, and sophomores as cadets/observers at sea. Juniors and seniors perform internships in various engineering firms and design offices. By the time students graduate, they have 8 months of work experience. Recently, Winter Work has become increasingly more global, with several students traveling overseas to China, the Netherlands, Denmark, Greece, and the United Arab Emirates.

Accreditation

Webb Institute is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of

ABET The ABET (incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering ...

Culture

Residential life

Students are generally to live on campus for all four years. The mansion houses male dorms, the four large classrooms, the library, the dining hall, the student pub, and various work spaces. The adjacent two buildings, Motley and The Robinson Model Basin, house the female dorms. Webb Institute has no fraternities or sororities. There is a student-run Social Committee at Webb that holds several parties throughout the year, the biggest event being "Webbstock," a music festival held in June on the mansion's terraces overlooking the Long Island Sound. The Social Committee also organizes off-campus trips throughout the year.

Honor Code

The student body adheres to an Honor Code, which prohibits lying, cheating, and stealing. The Student Organization administers the Honor Code, operates the student treasury, oversees social activities, and serves as liaison between students and the school administration.

Extracurricular activities

Webb has five intercollegiate athletic teams: sailing year-round, soccer and basketball in the fall, and volleyball and tennis in the spring. Students have many options for recreation during their studies. The school has its own yacht club, automotive workshop, and English pub. Intercollegiate sports include

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' (land yacht) over a chosen cou ...

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

, soccer,

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

, ultimate, and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. New York City is an hour away by the Long Island Rail Road. There are many student-led activity clubs on campus as well, both sporting and intellectual. Webb won the 2018 HVIAC men's tennis championship. This is the first championship Webb sports has won in recent history.

Athletics

The Webb athletic teams are the Webbies. The institute is a member of the

United States Collegiate Athletic Association The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/ junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 natio ...

(USCAA), primarily competing in the

Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference The Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC) is a member conference of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). It consists of eight small colleges in New York state. HVIAC's first championships were held in the ...

(HVIAC) for most of its sports since the 2004–05 academic year; while its sailing team competes in the

Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) is one of the seven conferences affiliated with the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association that schedule and administer regattas within their established geographic regions. MAISA organiz ...

(MAISA). Webb competes in five intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, sailing, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

References

External links

Official website

Official athletics website
{{coord, 40, 53, 04, N, 73, 38, 40, W, scale:10000, display=title Private universities and colleges in New York (state) Yacht clubs in the United States Glen Cove, New York Universities and colleges on Long Island Mansions of Gold Coast, Long Island Educational institutions established in 1889 Engineering universities and colleges in New York (state) Education in Nassau County, New York 1889 establishments in New York (state) Fordham, Bronx