Vern Foley - Purdue University - West Lafayette, West Lafayette, IN

Professor: Vern Foley

Department: History

College: Purdue University - West Lafayette, West Lafayette, IN

Rating # 1

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: B+
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took history of technology and science in 2005, I still keep the required reading books around as they are fascinating and I have such a fond memory of professor foley lecturing about the space race. He told the Russian side of the story as it's never usually told in America.

Rating # 2

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

I took Doc Foley's course as Richard Nixon was being re-elected, Fall '72. The most telling thing that I can say about the course and him is that, 45 years later, the memory of him and his course are still the most vivid and pleasant of all my time at Purdue. My project was a large working model flintlock mechanism and it helped earn me an "A".

Rating # 3

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: Yes
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: Yes
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

I took both semesters of History of Science and Technology back in the Dark Ages (1970s). Dr. Foley was one of the best teachers I ever had at any level. He helped me become a better Physics and teacher because I was able to give my students a historical perspective behind the contributions of famous people like Aristotle, Newton, Maxwell, etc.

Rating # 4

Overview:

• Course: HISTORYOFSCI
• Grade Received: A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Mandatory

Comment:

Dr. Foley was my favorite professor at Purdue. Very dry wit, but incredibly funny and great at making history interesting.

Rating # 5

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I received a B in 333 and a C in 334. He expects very little from his students except that they understand concepts in Science and Technology and read. I am a CS student. I hate history. But this guy made it fun. I'd write more, but honestly, just try him out. I did sourly in 334 because he expects more content from the books there. I didn't read.

Rating # 6

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

My favorite professor in my entire undergraduate career, and I'm not even a History major. Really entertaining, legitimately funny, and I even learned a few things along the way. Attend class, both because you can get an A by simply taking good notes, but because the class is actually fun.

Rating # 7

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

funny guy. you MUST go to class as there is no course website and there are no notes posted online; what he says in class and what's in the books are the notes. you will not get a grade higher than a C unless you do a term project or paper.

Rating # 8

Overview:

• Course: HIST494
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 3.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I'm really really enjoying this class. It's interesting and he is a fun professor. Lectures are always pretty amusing

Rating # 9

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Whatever you do, don't build a trebuchet for the end of the semester project. Mine was actually pretty good but he said it wasn't efficient enough. Gave me a B on it, and that caused me to get a B in the class. Just write the paper. The length doesn't really matter anyway.

Rating # 10

Overview:

• Course: HIST343
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Brilliant. Hilarious. Completely insane. The exams don't matter all that much so long as you do decent and do a great paper or project. You don't necessarily need to bother reading all the text, but make sure you fully understand all the pictures and captions. A great class to fill out those 300 level requirements for gen eds in engineering.

Rating # 11

Overview:

• Course: HIST350
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 1.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

I have taken almost all the courses Foley has taught and loved them! I hated history before I took a class with him, and now I'm a history minor. You need to go to class and take notes from the seemingly incoherent notes he puts on the board. Also read the books, or at least skim for pictures (a must). Easy even for science/ engineering majors.

Rating # 12

Overview:

• Course: HIST334
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Science & Technology in Western Civ is a good class -Especially funny is his referring to Ingrao's abilities as a combination of Madame Curie's radioactive waste and Pastuer's fecal bacteria experiment leftovers are a bit much, even if a very aprapo description. Likewise, pondering if Dummet breaths 03 is overboard. What a great prof

Rating # 13

Overview:

• Course: HIST514
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.5
• Course Difficulty: 4.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: Yes
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Shows what happens when an old hippie is still teaching. I often wondered how many drugs he was doing. His lectures and 'notes' on the board were incoherent.

Rating # 14

Overview:

• Course: HIST334
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: No
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Very interesting course from a very interesting professor, would definitely take another course with this professor.

Rating # 15

Overview:

• Course: HIS350333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

im not exactly sure what the point of the tests are....as long as you do the final project, thats the grade you get. i got 2 Ds on my test and a D on my final, but received a B in the class because i got a B on my project. also, why doesnt vern have a hotness factor?

Rating # 16

Overview:

• Course: HIST333
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Best prof on campus as far as I'm concerned. History of Science and Tech (333 and 334) are frickin' stellar classes.

Rating # 17

Overview:

• Course: HIST334
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: Not Mandatory

Comment:

cool vests

Rating # 18

Overview:

• Course: HISTCIRCA75
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 5.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Found site through my son. My favorite professor back in mid 70's. I Would take his classes again, almost 30 years later if I was in the area. Taught History of Science & Technology before James Burke of PBS Fame was even known. He may be dated now but 30 years ago his classes were the best.

Rating # 19

Overview:

• Course: HIST350
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 2.0
• Course Difficulty: 3.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

The class was science and tech of the 20th century and half the time was spent in the 1800's. Exams have pictures that look like big black boxes. Ironic thing: teaches a technology class and didn't have email and used typewriter for exams.

Rating # 20

Overview:

• Course: 333334
• Grade Received: N/A
• Overall Rating: 4.5
• Course Difficulty: 2.0

• For Credit: N/A
• Textbook Used: N/A
• Would Take Again: N/A
• Attendance: N/A

Comment:

Great professor. These were some of few courses I actually would willingly slog through the freezing rain and snow to see. Some of the reading was rather dry, but the lectures would make it a bit more interesting.