▁was ▁created ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁of ▁great ▁growth ▁in ▁American ▁higher ▁education . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 2 , ▁Congress ▁passed ▁the ▁Mor r ill ▁Land - Gr ant ▁Act , ▁which ▁provided ▁money ▁for ▁states ▁to ▁establish ▁public ▁institutions ▁of ▁higher ▁education . ▁These ▁institutions ▁focused ▁on ▁providing ▁practical ▁skills , ▁especially ▁" for ▁the ▁benefit ▁of ▁Agricult ure ▁and ▁the ▁Mechan ic ▁Arts ". ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁increasing ly ▁available ▁higher ▁education , ▁more ▁Americans ▁started ▁entering ▁the ▁work force ▁with ▁advanced ▁training ▁in ▁applied ▁fields ▁of ▁knowledge . ▁However , ▁they ▁often ▁lack ed ▁ground ing ▁in ▁the ▁science ▁and ▁engineering ▁principles ▁underlying ▁this ▁practical ▁knowledge . ▁ ▁After ▁a ▁generation ▁of ▁students ▁had ▁passed ▁through ▁these ▁new ▁public ▁univers ities , ▁profess ors ▁of ▁engineering ▁began ▁to ▁question ▁whether ▁they ▁should ▁adopt ▁a ▁more ▁rig orous ▁approach ▁to ▁teaching ▁the ▁fund ament als ▁of ▁their ▁field . ▁Ult imately , ▁they ▁concluded ▁that ▁engineering ▁curr ic ula ▁should ▁stress ▁fundamental ▁scientific ▁and ▁mathematical ▁principles , ▁not ▁hands - on ▁app rent ices hip ▁experiences . ▁To ▁organ ize ▁support ▁for ▁this ▁approach ▁to ▁engineering ▁education , ▁S PE E ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 3 ▁Chicago ▁World ’ s ▁Fair . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁the ▁World ' s ▁Columb ian ▁Ex position , ▁this ▁event ▁her ald ed ▁the ▁promise ▁of ▁science ▁and ▁engineering ▁by ▁introdu cing ▁many ▁Americans , ▁for ▁example , ▁to ▁the ▁w onders ▁of ▁electric ity .