Anthony J. Drexel established the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry in 1891 to meet the needs of a rapidly growing industrial society. Today, the six colleges and three schools that proudly bear the name Drexel University provide businesses and the professions with graduates who have the knowledge, skills, experience, initiative, and confidence to play leading roles in a technologically driven global economy.

The engineering curriculum called E4 was designed by Dr. Quinn, who passed away January of 2000. E4 is named as such for incorporating co-op learning, technology, research and leadership. Implemented in 1988 and supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation who later adopted the E4 curriculum as the standard for teaching engineering in universities.