Despite a longstanding narrative celebrating the inexorable success of American colleges and universities, at certain pivotal times very powerful elites have found the higher education sector to be pitiful, broken, and in urgent need of reform. This is the story of the first iteration of that discontent. This dissertation is an account of American higher education during the period that Richard Hofstadter dubbed the "Age of Reform," especially the years between 1890 and 1920. During these decades, a cadre of powerful and well-funded reformers clamored for sweeping changes in American colleges and universities. I name these individuals "the academic engineers." Borrowing the language and ethos of engineering, they sought to corral an unruly collection of autonomous institutions into a centralized system; to consolidate control of that system in their own hands; to create a tiered, pyramidal hierarchy of institutions; and to eliminate inefficiencies and distractions on campus. Again and again, I show how the academic engineers' efforts fell short despite their considerable wealth and power. Still, amidst their failures, we can see many key features of the modern higher education sector taking shape. Part of this dissertation's significance is its assurance that although actions always have consequences, top-down design is not destiny. The reform agenda has existed for more than a century, and it will surely continue to exist. Those of us in the rank-and-file of higher education may be best served by seeing it not as an existential threat, but as a fact of life to be assimilated, diverted, or subverted on an ongoing basis. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]