1950: (June 21) Dr. Byrd (in a speech to the Maryland State Firemen’s Association at Ocean City, Maryland), requests closer cooperation between the Training Committee of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association and the University of Maryland, requesting the Training Committee meet with a representative of the University of Maryland in monthly meetings. (Fall) The Training Committee of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association initiates meetings with representatives of UMD. (November 04) A letter is written by Chairman Irving Wallen Johnson of the Training Committee of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association to Dr. Byrd, proposing the establishment of an accredited Fire Protection program at UMD.
1952: Mr. B. W. Poindexter with the Fire Prevention Bureau reports {at the annual convention} that the Bureau requested a college course in Fire Prevention or Fire Protection Engineering and that Dr. Byrd has provided assurance that such a course would be available in the near future.
1953: The Firemen’s Training Committee of the Maryland State Fireman’s Association reports to the Association that Bob Byrus is working steadily toward the promised Fire Protection Engineering or Specialist course, and a proposed curriculum has been prepared.
1955: (August 12) The proposed curriculum for the four-year course in Fire Protection is approved by the New Course Committee. (August 15) The approved curriculum is presented to UMD President Wilson H. Elkins, by Dean S.S. Steinberg, of the College of Engineering.
1956: (January 11) An article runs in the Annapolis Evening Capital, entitled University Action Stresses Importance of Fire Protection, addressing the announcement of the proposed Fire Protection Bachelor of Science curriculum, by Delegate Ira Bird Kirkland (D-Anne Arundel), at the annual banquet of the West Annapolis Fire and Improvement Company. (March 12) An article runs in The Washington Post, entitled Fire Protection Course Offered by University, announcing the inauguration of a four-year course in Fire Protection at the University of Maryland, College of Engineering. John L. Bryan, a senior instructor in the Fire Service Extension Department is named to head the new program. Authorization of funds for the Fire Protection Curriculum in the University of Maryland budget is approved by the Maryland State Legislature. (July) The Fire Protection Curriculum program is established in the College of Engineering. The offices, classroom and laboratory space are located in the Fire Service Extension Building, also occupied by the College Park Volunteer Fire Department. Mabel Weitzel and Nancy Holcomb, of the Fire Service Extension Department, provide part-time staff support for Fire Protection, and serve until 1966. The first academic scholarships are established. Scholarships continue to be established by local, state, and national Volunteer and Professional Associations and Societies, private firms, and independent donors.
1957: The Freshman class is initiated in the Fall, consisting of seven students.
1958: The Fire Insurance Rating Bureaus of the Northeastern States establish a scholarship program for students with employment obligation, attracting qualified individuals to the new Fire Protection Curriculum during the critical beginning stages of program development. A total of 64 students will go on to graduated under this scholarship program from 1963-1972.
1960: Harry E. Hickey joins the Department as the second full-time faculty member, and serves until 1985.
1961: UMD Student Chapter of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers is chartered.
1962: (January) Orville M. “Bud” Slye, Jr. becomes the first student to successfully complete the required course in Fire Protection as part of the College of Engineering. UMD becomes the second accredited university in the nation to graduate a student in Fire Protection. (June) The first graduating “class” consists of Robert Darwin, David Hammerman, and Bill Stehle.
1965: The Beta Chapter of the Salamander Honorary Society is installed at the University of Maryland, by members of the Alpha Chapter, including two of the charter members of the Society. Orville M. “Bud” Slye, Jr. (’62) becomes the first part-time faculty member in the Department.
1966: Jennifer Crossland joins the department as the first full-time staff person, and serves until 1972.
1967: Richard Custer joins the Department as the third full-time faculty member and serves until 1972.
1970: The Fire Protection curriculum is eligible for and submitted for accreditation by the Engineers Council for Professional Development. Accreditation is not granted, but recommendations for improvement are provided to achieve later accreditation.
1971: The 100th student is graduated from the program.
1972: Eloise Shick replaces Jennifer Crossland as the full-time staff person, and serves until 1979. Bill Everard (’70) and Tom Hughes (’64) join the Department as part-time faculty members.
1973: Jack Watts replaces Richard Custer as the third full-time faculty member in the Department, and serves until 1981. Dan Sheehan (’65) and Martin Hanna (’68) join the Department as part-time faculty members.
1974: As the result of The Engineers Council for Professional Development recommendations, the Department office, classroom, pyrodynamics lab, and student lounge-library facilities are moved to the Engineering Laboratory Building.
1976: Doug Walton (’72) joins the Department as a part-time faculty, and serves until 1990. (July 20) The Engineers Council for Professional Development {at a closed meeting of the Board of Directors held at the United Engineering Center}, awards accreditation of the Fire Engineering program for 6 years until re-evaluation in 1982. Accreditation is later granted in 1982, 1988, 1994, 2000, & 2006. (September 24) A letter is sent from Engineers Council for Professional Development to Dr. Robert L. Gluckstern, Chancellor at the University of Maryland, announcing the granted accreditation of the Fire Engineering program to 1982.
1977: Phil DiNenno (’77) joins the Department as a part-time faculty, and serves until 1990. James A. Milke, P.E., Ph.D., (’76) joins the Department, and in 1981 replaces Jack Watts as the third full-time faculty member in the Department, serving as Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair to date. John L. Bryan is named the Society of Fire Protection Engineer's Fire Protection Man of the Year. A meeting of the Board of Regents is held on November 18th and approval is granted for a change in the name of the Fire Protection Curriculum to the Department of Fire Protection Engineering.
1980: Cindy Hauf replaces Eloise Shick as the full-time staff person, and serves until 1992. The 200th student is graduated from the program.
1981: Sharon Stone (’79) joins the Department as a part-time faculty member.
1984: The 300th student is graduated from the program.
1985: The Department moves into the renovated College of Engineering Classroom Building. Harry E. Hickey retires after 25 years of service.
1986: John L. Bryan receives the prestigious National Fire Protection Association’s Paul C. Lamb Award.
1987: Fred W. Mowrer, Ph.D. joins the Department in August, replacing Harry E. Hickey as the third full-time faculty member in the Department, and served as Associate Professor. Bill Koffel (’79) joins the Department as a part-time faculty member. The Alumni initiate a campaign to fund a Chair in Fire Protection Engineering, later completed in 1995. The 400th student is graduated from the program.
1989: The Master of Science Degree in Fire Protection Engineering is initiated. John L. Bryan is elected as Fellow of SFPE.
1990: James G. Quintiere joins the Department in August as the fourth full-time faculty member, and serves as Professor Emeritus to date.
1991: Barbara Levin joins the Department as a part-time faculty member. John L. Bryan receives the Parmalee Award from the American Fire Sprinkler Association. (June) Fred Mowrer is awarded the Harry C. Bigglestone Award for Excellence in Written Communication for a publication in Fire Technology. (August) Steven Spivak Ph.D., joins the Department as the fifth full-time faculty member, serves as Acting Chair of the Department from September 1993-July 1994, and serves as Chair until March 2001. Vincent Brannigan, J.D., joins the Department as the sixth full-time faculty member.
1992: (May) Daniel O’Connor becomes first student to successfully complete the Master of Science program. December: The first graduating “class” of the Graduate Program consists of Debra Bernstein, Rick Parker, and Randy Shearman. The 500th undergraduate student is graduated from the program.
1993: Don Bathurst (’80), Bud Nelson, Jesse Beitel, and Robert Gagnon (’90, ’95) join the Department as part-time faculty members. (August) John L. Bryan retires and is appointed Professor Emeritus.
1994: The College Park Volunteer Fire Department’s “sackroom” is dedicated as the John L. Bryan Fire Service Dormitory. The legacy is continued on to date by James Milke, overseeing the administration of the sackroom. Endowment of the John L. Bryan Chair in Fire Protection Engineering is initiated. Dr. John A Rockett serves as Adjunct Professor. Alex Szachnowicz (’90, ’03) and Merritt Birky join the Department as part-time faculty members. Jim Milke is awarded the E. Robert Kent Outstanding Teaching Award, A. James Clark School of Engineering.
1995: José Torero, Ph.D. joins the Department and serves as Associate Professor until 2001.
1996: (June) Jim Milke is awarded the Harry C. Bigglestone Award for Excellence in Written Communication for a publication in Fire Technology. (August) Marino di Marzo becomes an affiliate faculty member. Tony Kilpatrick joins the Department as a part-time faculty member. Sylvia Keane joins the Department as Business Manager and served until 2001.
1998: Jim Milke is elected as a Fellow of SFPE. José Torero is awarded the E. Robert Kent Outstanding Teaching Award, A. James Clark School of Engineering. Kathleen Almand joins the Department as part-time faculty member.
1999: Jim Quintiere and Fred Mowrer are elected Fellows of SFPE. (Spring) Bill Parker, Joe Simone and Bernd Beier join the Department as part-time faculty members. (July) Jim Quintiere is appointed as the John L. Bryan Chair in Fire Protection Engineering.
2000: Marino di Marzo is elected as a Fellow of ASME. (June) Jim Milke is awarded the Harry C. Bigglestone Award for Excellence in Written Communication for a publication in Fire Technology.
2001: (March) Steven Spivak retires and Jim Milke becomes acting Chair. (May) José Torero is awarded the 2000-2001 Service Award for an outstanding faculty member in the Clark School of Engineering, based on service to the college, university and profession. (July) Marino di Marzo joins the Department as a full-time faculty and serves as Department Chair and Graduate Director. André Marshall, Ph.D., joins the Department and serves as Professor. Arnaud Trouvé Ph.D., joins the Department and serves as Associate Professor. Takashi Kashiwagi Ph.D., joins the Department and serves as Adjunct Professor. Dave Purser joins the Department as a part-time faculty member. Allison Spurrier, Business Manager joins the Department. Judy Hunter, Business Office Assistant joins the Department.
2002: (June) Fred Mowrer, Jim Milke, and José Torero, are awarded the Harry C. Bigglestone Award for Excellence in Written Communication for a publication in Fire Technology. (Fall) The distance learning program in Fire Protection Engineering is initiated.
2003: Marino di Marzo is elected as a Fellow of AIChE; Patricia Baker, Administrative Assistant, joins the Department.
2004: Peter Sunderland Ph.D., joins the Department and currently serves as Professor.
2005: Jim Quintiere is elected Fellow of ASME. Steve Gwynne joins the Department as a part-time faculty member. (June) John L. Bryan receives the NFPA’s Standards Medal at the National Fire Protection Association’s World Safety Conference & Exposition in Las Vegas. The Standards Medal - the highest award given by the Standards Council - recognizes outstanding contributions to fire safety in the development of codes and standards. (December) Elaine Gall and Robert Layton become the first two Masters of Engineering students to graduate through the distance program.
2006: Department moves into JM Patterson Building. Howard Baum is appointed as a Glenn L. Martin Research Professor. Mickey King joins the Department as Adjunct Faculty. (May) Jim Milke is awarded the 2005-2006 Service Award for an outstanding faculty member in the Clark School of Engineering, based on service to the college, university and profession. (October) James Quintiere is awarded the Arthur B. Guise Medal, given in recognition of eminent achievement in advancing the science of fire protection engineering. DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 50 YEARS!
2010: Research expenditures exceed $1 million.
2011: 1000th B.S. degree awarded; James Milke, Ph.D., is appointed Department Chair.
2012: Legacy Campaign is initiated for Endowed Clinical Professor position. Michael Gollner, Ph.D., joins the department faculty as an assistant professor.
2016: DEPARTMENT CELEBRATES 60 YEARS! Gollner discovers the Blue Whirl, garnering a plethora of media attention for the department.
2014: Clinical Professor Kenneth Isman joins the faculty (i.e., Legacy Campaign).
2017: (June 03) Two 'fire' experiments, Burning Rate Emulator and Flame Design, led by FPE Professors, James Quintiere and Peter Sunderland, is launched into space; currently aboard the International Space Station.
2019: (February) FPE wins Alumni Cup Competition; Arnaud Trouvé is elected Fellow of the International Compustion Institute.
2020: (November) Marino de Marzo retires.
2021: (July) Peter Sunderland discovers "cool flames" abord the International Space Station; (March) Andre Marshall appointed VPR of George Mason University.
2022: (February) FPE wins the Clark School Alumni Cup Competition for the second time; (August) Shuna Ni and Fernando Raffan-Montoya join the faculty.
2023: (July 31) James Milke steps down as FPE's Department Chair and Arnaud Trouvé steps up as FPE Department Chair. (September 01) Jim Milke transitions into director of the FPE Distance Learning Program.
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