Mission Statement
The mission of the Office of Industry Engagement is to mutually benefit LeTourneau University and local businesses by providing resources through applied learning programs, industry education classes, and R.G. Research and Development, Inc.
What We Do
History of LeTourneau University and Industry
LeTourneau University was built on the idea of equipping industry professionals. After World War II, GIs returning home and pursuing a college education were seeking "practical and hands-on programs that would readily launch them into the workforce," like engineering and welding. At the same time, R.G. LeTourneau, a renown inventor and businessman, moved to Longview, Texas, to open a new LeTourneau Industries manufacturing facility. His wife, Evelyn, also saw the opportunity to start a technical college on some land nearby. In 1946, R.G. and Evelyn founded LeTourneau Technical Institute (later, LeTourneau University) in part to fill some of this gap in the education market, training students in both the classroom and a hands-on environment at LeTourneau Industries just down the street.
R.G. LeTourneau understood the connection between strong academics, practical experience, and business, and his passion for hands-on learning continues at LeTourneau University today. The mission of LETU is to train students "to nurture Christian virtue, to develop competency and ingenuity in their professional fields, to integrate faith and work, and to serve the local and global community," and this includes preparing them for the industries they will work in after graduation, including many companies in East Texas. The Office of Industry Engagement at LeTourneau University carries on this legacy by building even deeper connections between LETU and local industries.
"Even in becoming a comprehensive university, being hands-on, practical, professional, technical, and Christian—the foundation stones of our institution—remain deeply embedded in all that we do."
– Dr. Steven D. Mason, LeTourneau University President
LeTourneau University as The Christian Polytechnic University
