Webb Institute is a private college focused on engineering and located in Glen Cove, New York. Each graduate of Webb Institute earns a Bachelor of Science degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. 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, 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, the institute was closely associated with the U.S. Navy 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, in Glen Cove on the North