Goddard Society

The Goddard Society is named for Robert H. Goddard, a 1908 graduate of WPI who is considered the father of modern rocketry. Goddard enrolled at WPI in 1904 and would prove to be a natural leader, a gregarious and popular student, and a budding scientist with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Even then he showed signs of his inventive genius. For an English assignment, he envisioned a train that would travel from Boston to New York in 10 minutes through an evacuated tube. He invented (and described for Scientific American readers) a means of stabilizing airplanes with gyroscopes. For his senior thesis, Goddard explored electrical properties of powders, research with important implications for the development of radio. He filled notebooks with questions, speculations, and ideas about the potential for conquering space.

Members of the Goddard Society share Robert Goddard’s penchant for imagination. Their generous support of WPI helps this university aim for its highest aspirations, just as Goddard aimed for the stars.

Benefits

• Welcome Package

• Society-specific lapel pin

• A special recognition gift

• Special access to theater and music performances, private tours, lectures, seminars, competitions, and exhibits

• 15% off your purchases at the WPI campus bookstore