Purdue’s Class of 1939 Water Sculpture, generally known as the Engineering Fountain, was dedicated during the university’s homecoming festivities in 1989. (Photos courtesy of Purdue Archives and Special Collections)
We loved the ’80s: Campus scenes from a memorable decade
As the Unfinished Block P statue reminds us, Purdue is in a constant state of evolution, as are Boilermakers themselves. The campus of the 1980s was nothing like the one we see today (remember the outdoor pool at the CoRec?). Even iconic buildings like Purdue Memorial Union and University Hall have new interior or exterior features that would be unrecognizable to 1980s Boilermakers. But that decade is also when some of today’s campus landmarks — including the Class of 1939 Water Sculpture (you may know it as the Engineering Fountain), Knoy Hall of Technology, the Northwestern Avenue Parking Garage and the Materials and Electrical Engineering building — came into existence. See which structures you recognize in this collection of ’80s-era campus images.
