The origins of the Department of Bioresource Engineering trace back to 1907, when agricultural engineering began as a manual training program for teachers, household science, and agriculture students. By 1914, it became the Department of Manual Training and Agricultural Engineering.
George E. Emberley, the department’s first engineering lecturer, played a pivotal role, teaching forging, farm machinery, drainage, and surveying. Under his leadership, the department was renamed Agricultural Engineering in 1918.
Louis G. Heimple succeeded Emberley as chair until 1951, followed by Professor Angus Banting—nephew of Sir Frederick Banting—who elevated the department’s national profile. During this period, Professor Jim Cooper contributed significantly by teaching shop practice, welding, metalwork, and machinery courses.