75th Anniversary Guest Book

May 21, 2012

75th Anniversary Guest Book

NSPE has provided to me an invaluable assocoation with fellow engineering professionals. There were many times during my tenure as President of NSPE that I posed the question, "Where else might you turn for the professional nurture that we all need?" There was not, and still is not, anywhere else for an engineer to frequently nourish his or her professional interests. NSPE has been, and still is the only answer to that question.

Thomas Dudley Hixson, P.E., F.NSPE
President 1993–94
5/7/2009

I have had the privelege of being involved in the local, state and national organization for over 36 years and have met and been met by giants of our profession! NSPE through my involvement has given me the deeper essence of our profession by allowing me to give back! I tell anyone who will listen that being president of NSPE is one of only a few watershed moments in my life. Our profession owes an unimaginable debt to the founders and the thousands who have followed in service! And eventhough this great history is a "bold and beautiful legacy", the best is yet to come! As my favorite mentor, Dr. Dan H. Pletta, P.E. said in his book on our profession (1984) "it is we who can manage ideas and lead people or formulate goals, so as to leave the world a bit better than we found it, who must never lose hope. Nor must we ever forget that as technology shrinks the time and space frames in which the world functions, the challenges expand. Man now possesses the knowledge to enhance society's cultural atmosphere and living standards by orders of magnitude, or to annihilate everything." That was 25 years ago and Dr. Pletta is still right on target! Imagine the next 25 years and dare to dream of the roles of PE's in that wonderful future!
Robert S. Miller, III, P.E., F.NSPE
President 2006–07
5/7/2009

I have read the late Paul Robins' book, Building for Professional Growth, A History of the National Society of Professional Engineers, 1934-1984. I am also fortunate to posses a pamphlet, The Writings of D. B. Steinman, which publication was produced during the 60th anniversary celebration of the founding of NSPE. Both of those publications have instilled in me an enormous appreciation for the vision of Dr. Steinman and his colleagues. Their dedication to the profession of engineering, to the imperative need for licensure, and to achieving public recognition of professional engineers was beyond enormous.

As a recent officer of NSPE, I am familiar with the multiplicity of questions regarding membership benefits, value, "what's in it for me", along with various tensions among some of the membership units within the society. As I read Paul Robbins Book, and Dr. Steinman's writings, I recognized the enormous sacrifices made by our founders, the zeal with which they built NSPE from its modest inception as a federation of four states (Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania) to a federation of fifty four state and territorial societies. The last society to affiliate with NSPE was Guam, in 1970.

It is with extreme appreciation for the vision and efforts of our founders that I congratulate NSPE for the path it has followed, and wish a successful future for the National and State Societies. I urge all to become more familiar with the history of our organization, and to subscribe to the tenets upon which it is based.

On a personal level, NSPE's "birth" occurred on September 3, 1934, only nine days before my birth. We will reach our diamond anniversaries at almost the same time. I have always felt a special connection to NSPE because of that.

Bernard R, Berson, P.E., F.NSPE, LS
President 2007–08
5/7/2009

I will be 95 years old in September and my memories are difficult to express.

I would like to commend the Society for their leadership in ethics, which is one of my favorite subjects. Their leadership is valuable.

I would bemoan the fact that when I was president of the Society, we had over 80,000 members and that it is much less today, and that instead of building it up, it has lost membership.

I also know that this is a continuing problem, but the NSPE continues to be a real force for the future of our profession.

Harry E. Bovay, Jr., P.E., F.NSPE
President 1975–76
5/11/2009

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