The Federation of Engineering Societies of the Drexel Institute of Technology was established in 1949. An early constitution gives the purpose of the organization as furthering the knowledge of engineering and science, enhancing professionalism and fellowship, and to “coordinate all intergroup activities of the member engineering and scientific societies” on campus. The Federation encompassed all student chapters of professional societies represented in the major departments of the School of Engineering and Science. Some six societies were included in this group in 1952, including the campus chapters of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and the American Society of Metals. By 1961, over 30 groups were participating in the Federation. Each society chapter had its own faculty advisor, and it appears that the Dean of Engineering was at least partly involved in Federation oversight. In 1964-1965, the organizational name was changed to the Federation of Engineering and Scientific Societies.

A major Federation project from almost the beginning has been a special short conference on campus that has focused on engineering. The first annual Engineers Day was held in January 1950 and featured a well-known keynote speaker, Admiral Luis de Florez, who was instrumental in the development of flight simulators. By the third annual Engineers Day in 1952, the Engineering and Science Award had been established, and all subsequent Engineers Day occurrences have included presentation of this award to a noted individual or team with accomplishments salient to engineering. In 1959, the name of the award was changed to the Science and Engineering Award. An early award recipient was Brig. Gen. David Sarnoff, Chairman of the Board of RCA. Subsequent awardees included Dr. I.M. Levitt, Director of the Fels Planetarium of the Franklin Institute; Lee A. Iacocca, Executive Vice President of Ford Motor Company; Dr. Isaac Asimov, science fiction writer; R. Buckminster Fuller, designer and inventor; Dr. Portia Isaacson, an early entrepreneur who opened the first personal computer store; and Pennsylvania Governor Dick Thornburgh, who drew on his engineering degree to oversee the emergency response effort re: the partial meltdown of the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant.

From the beginning, planning Engineers Day was an elaborate affair needing six or more Federation committees to cooperate as well as function independently to pull all the details together. (Several folders include guidelines documents intended to assist the Federation from year to year in planning and staging Engineers Day.) For example, the 1953 Engineers Day program included a keynote address, separate meetings of the individual societies making up the Federation, presentation of the Engineering and Science Award, a catered luncheon for attendees, an afternoon program, and the Engineers Ball. Later, outside organizations were invited to set up displays, that is, tabletop exhibits. During the 1950-1982 period, Engineers Day appears to have been funded through dues and fees paid to the Federation from member societies, fees for activities (such as from selling tickets to the Engineers Ball), and grants from Drexel.

In 1951, a U.S.-wide event termed Engineers Week was initiated by the National Society of Professional Engineers to increase understanding of engineering among young people and students as well as interest in engineering and technology careers. In 1962, the records indicate that Engineers Day began to be considered as related to Engineers Week; and in many subsequent years, Engineers Day was scheduled during or contiguous to National Engineers Week. As of 1971, Engineers Day was renamed Engineering and Science Day, perhaps taking a cue from the renaming of the Drexel Institute of Technology to Drexel University, which had occurred the preceding year.