In the mid-1900s, the school was known as the Taihang Industrial School (太行工业学校) from 1941 to 1949, the Ordnance Industry Vocational School (兵工职业学校) from 1949 to 1951, the China Northern Ordnance Industrial School (华北兵工工业学校) from 1951 to 1953, the China Northern Second Industrial School (华北第二工业学校) from 1953 to 1955, the Taiyuan First Industrial School (太原第一工业学校) from 1955 to 1956, the Taiyuan Machinery Manufacturing Industrial School (太原机械制造工业学校) from 1956 to 1958.[2]
After that, with several reorganization and institutional incorporation, the school was known as the Taiyuan Machinery College (太原机械学院) from 1958 to 1993 and the North China Industrial School (华北工学院; official English name: North China Institute of Technology) from 1993 to 2004.[2]
The university played an important role in the weaponry development and personnel training for the People's Liberation Army during the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War. In 2001, Bo Yibo, a senior leader of the Communist Party and of the country, wrote the inscription "The First School for People's Ordnance Industry" (人民兵工第一校) for the 60th anniversary of the school.[citation needed]
