A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE IEEE AND THE TWIN CITIES SECTION

By Fred Hird and Harry Bruncke

In September 1884 the Franklin Institute, a scientific society, sponsored the International Electrical Exhibition in Philadelphia.  A group of representatives from several local electrical clubs and societies in and around New York felt that the electrical engineers should establish a national electrical society to greet the engineers, electricians and others who would attend the Exhibition from Europe and other countries.  Therefore, Dr. N. S. Keith, a chemist interested in electricity, issued a call for a formation meeting April 15, 1884 for such a Society.  The response was remarkable since 71 charter members attended and signed the document for formation.  One month later, May 13, 1884, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers was in operation with Dr. Norvin Green as President.

Included in the group of signers were such famous names as Alexander Graham Bell, Charles Brush, Thomas Edison, Franklin Pope, Elihu Thompson and Edward Weston.

The purpose of the AIEE as stated was:  "to promote the Arts and Sciences connected with the production and utilization of electricity and the welfare of those employed in these Industries: by means of social intercourse, the reading and discussion of professional papers and the circulation by means of publication among members and associates of information thus obtained."

In 1902, the institute formulated rules for the establishment of Sections and Student Branches outside of New York.  A group of electrical engineers in the Twin Cities, including George Shepardson, Edward Burch, Frank Springer and Charles Pillsbury requested the institute to establish a Section in this area.

On April 7, 1902, a charter was issued for a Minnesota Section, covering the territory:  part of Wisconsin, Minnesota  and North and South Dakota.  Dr. George Shepardson was the Chairman from 1902 to 1905.  This was the second Section of the Insitute, Chicago being the first.

Prior to 1912, the "wireless" boys were becoming more and more active in the new radio field.  For some reason the Institute members were reluctant to provide services which the radio "operators" requested.  So the Institute of Radio Engineers was established in 1912.  Among the charter members were such famous names as DeForest, Sarnoff, and Goldsmith.  Robert Marriott was the first President on May 13, 1912.

The Twin Cities Section of the IRE was established in 1941 with C.A. Culver as Chairman.  The Territory of the Section was quite similar to the Minnesota Section of the AIEE.

The two Institutes covered the same general technical fields with AIEE placing more emphasis on power and IRE on communications.  Both established separate student Branches at colleges and universities.  The students who were members of the Branches of the two Institutes could not justify the fact that two Branches were needed.  So they formed Joint Branches which caused confusion in the two Institutes as to who would pay what part of the activities of the Joint Branches.

The students at their national meeting petitioned for a merger of the two Institutes.  Out of this came a vote of the membership of both Institutes to merge with 85% in each Institute voting "yes".  On January 1, 1963, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers was launched.  Dr. Ernst Weber was the first President of the IEEE.  Today the membership is approximately 170,000.

The Twin Cities Section of the IRE and the Minnesota Section of the AIEE became the Twin Cities Section of the IEEE.  Mr. Al Martin was the Chairman of the IRE Section and Mr. Don Peterson was the Chairman of  the AIEE Section and by a flip of the coin Mr. Peterson became the first Chairman of the merged Sections.  The present membership is approximately 2,000.

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The May 1984 Radiator reprinted the above history with the additional information:

"The above article first appeared in the Awards Banquet program on the occasion of the Twin Cities Section 75th anniversary in 1977.  While today's world wide membership stands near a quarter of a million and our local membership is over 3000, this brief history is still relevant today."

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Past Section Officers:

	AIEE Section Chairs:	Secretary
1902-1905	G. D. Shepardson	E. P. Burch
1905-1906	E. P. Burch	B. Dibble
1906-1907	H. J. Gille	B. Dibble
1907-1909	E. H. Scofield	A. L. Abbott
1909-1911	J. C. Vincent	J. H. Schumacher
1911-1912	C. L. Pillsbury	L. H. Cooper
1912-1913	A. L. Abbott	F. A. Otto
1913-1914	W. T. Rayn	F. G. Dustin
1914-1915	L. H. Cooper	E. Anderson
1915-1916	E. T. Street	W. C. Beckjord
1916-1917	R. J. S. Carter	V. S. Beck
1917-1918	F. W. Springer	A. B. King
1918-1919	M. Barnett	J. D. Marshall
1919-1920	F. G. Dustin	L. H. Cooper
1920-1921	J. D. Marshall	G. H. Jones
1921-1922	W. T. Ryan	F. A. Otto
1922-1923	F. A. Otto	H. W. Meyer
1923-1924	H. W. Meyer	N. W. Kingsley
1924-1925	E. H. Scofield	A. G. Dewars
1925-1926	A. G. Dewars	J. E. Sumpter
1926-1927	S. B. Hood	Milo E. Todd
1927-1928	J. E. Sumpter	G. Cooley
1928-1929	Milo E. Todd	V. E. Engquist
1929-1930	V. E. Engquist	Oscar Gaarden
1930-1931	D. K. Lewis	H. J. Pierce
1931-1932	Oscar Gaarden	E. H. Hagensick
1932-1933	H. J. Pierce	R. R. Herrmann
1933-1934	E. H. Hagensick	P. G. Bowman
1934-1935	R. R. Herrman	J. H. Kuhlmann
1935-1936	P. G. Bowman	Andrew Nelson
1936-1937	J. H. Kuhlmann	C. H. Nelson
1937-1938	Andrew Nelson	Ira B. Garthus
1938-1939	C. H. Nelson	R. E. Burlingame
1939-1940	Ira B. Garthus	Karl J. Mertz
1940-1941	R. E. Burlingame	Henry E. Hartig
1941-1942	Karl J. Mertz	Willis H. Gille
1942-1943	William Endicott	Carl W. Lethert
1943-1944	Willis H. Gille	Le Roy A. Griffith
1944-1945	Carl W. Lethert	Fred W. Hitchkiss
1945-1946	Le Roy A. Griffith	John H. Merriman
1946-1947	Dr. Henry E. Hartig	Donald C. Gray
1947-1948	John H. Merriman	Lincoln A. Rietow
1948-1949	Harry P. Bruncke	Al J. Hendry
1949-1950	Lincoln Rietow	Ralph E. Willey
1950-1951	Al J. Hendry	George B. Germain
1951-1952	George B. Germain	Robert M. Kalb
1952-1953	Edwin A. Willson	Paul A. Cartwright
1953-1954	Ralph E. Willey	J. J. Rudolf Jr.
1954-1955	Paul A. Cartwright	R. G. Lynn
1955-1956	John J. Rudolf	Seth N. Witts
1956-1957	Richard G. Lynn	James H. Forchtner
1957-1958	Seth N. Witts	Howard W. Ecker
1958-1959	James H. Forchtner	Carl A. Fagrelius
1959-1960	Howard W. Ecker	E. C. Davidson
1960-1961	Carl A. Fagrelius	J. Alman
1961-1962	E. C. Davidson	Donald C. Peterson
1962-1963	L. A. Helling	Lucas (Luke) H. Youngvorst
1963-1964	Donald C. Peterson (IEEE)
	IRE Section Chairs:	Secretary
1941	C. A. Culver	N. B. Coil
1942	R. E. Allison	A. G. Peck
1943	E. S. Heiser	J. T. Pfeiffer
1944	H. S. McCartney	C. W. Engleman
1945	H. S. McCartney	Merle Ludwig
1946	Marty E. Knox	Paul Thompson
1947	O. Hugo Schuck	B. E. Montgomery
1948	D. A. Murray	C. I. Rice
1949	W. G. Pree	O. A. Schott
1950	Orville A. Becklund	Arnold A. Cohen
1951	Arnold A. Cohen	O. W. Muckerhirn
1952	O. A. Schott	Fredrick S. Hird
1953	O. W. Muckerhirn	N. B. Coil
1954	Fredrick S. Hird	J. L. Hill
1955	N. B. Coil	J. L. Hill
1956	J. L. Hill	W. E. Stewart
1957	E. W. Harding	S. W. Schulz
1958	F. C. Wagner	Joseph Kahnke
1959	S. W. Schulz	H. D. Shekels
1960	Joseph Kahnke	Charles G. Compton
1961	H. D. Shekels	Al L. Martin Jr.
1962	Charles G. Compton	B. J. Renk
1963	Al  L. Martin
	IEEE Section Chairs:	Vice Chair	Secretary
1963-1964	Donald C. Peterson
1964-1965	Al L. Martin
1965-1966	Ogden Preshold
1966-1967	Lucas (Luke) H. Youngvorst
1967-1968
1968-1969	Herb Taus
1969-1970	Rolland B. Arndt
1970-1971	Kenneth K.  Dols
1971-1973	John (Jack) M. Thorson
1973-1974	Harry P. Bruncke	Charles R. Seashore	Mostafa Mosharrafa
1974-1975	Charles R. Seashore	Mostafa Mosharrafa	LowellC. Beihoffer
1975-1976	Mostafa Mosarrafa	Lowell C. Beihoffer	J.David Zook
1976-1977	Lowell C. Beihoffer	J. David Zook	AbrahamFranck
1977-1978	J. David Zook	Abraham Franck	Robert J.Schlentz
1978-1979	Abraham Franck	Robert J. Schlentz	StephenL. Larsen
1979-1980	Robert J. Schlentz	Stephen L. Larsen	LarryL. Kinney
1980-1981	Stephen L. Larsen	Larry L. Kinney	RichardF. Rappel
1981-1982	Larry L. Kinney	Richard F. Rappel	GlenBarcus
1982-1983	Richard F. Rappel	Glen Barcus	Vern D.Albertson
1984-1985	Vern D. Albertson	Max Goldberg	Neal A.Bodin
1985-1986	Max Goldberg	Neal A. Bodin	Alan W. Swanson
1986-1987	Neal A. Bodin	Alan W. Swanson	PatriciaA. Douma
1987-1988	Alan W. Swanson	Patricia A. Douma	MichaelF. Kramer
1988-1989	Patricia A. Douma	James C. Wilcox	DanielE. Nordell
1989-1990	James C. Wilcox	Daniel E. Nordell	CurtMontieth
1990-1991	Daniel E. Nordell	Christina M. Schober	MertonA. Horne
1991	Christina M. Schober	Gary D. Moorhead	RobertJ. Hanson
1992	Gary D. Moorhead	Robert J. Hanson	Chad Silvasailam
1992	Larry E. LaCoursiere	Gerald L. Becker	CarlA. Swenson
1993	Robert J. Hanson	Eileen A. Secord	Larry E.LaCoursiere
1994	Eileen A. Secord	James N. Riess	Salley K. Goldberg
1995	James N. Riess	P. James Carr	Mark W. Condon
1996	Thomas W. Ernst	Eric G. Persson	Mark A. Durow
1997	Eric G. Persson	Ellis S. Nolley	Bob M. Barrett
1998	Ellis S. Nolley	Bob M. Barrett	Timothy J. Coyle
1999	Bob M. Barrett	Timothy J. Coyle	Stephen C.Merriman
2000	Stephen C. Merriman	Ben Manning	James McLinn
2001	Ben Manning	James McLinn	Steven James
2002	James McLinn	Steven James	Greg Burk
2003	Steven James	Greg Burk	John Hoschette
2004	Greg Burk	Jon Moon	Chris Greene
2005	Jon Moon	Chris Greene	Dave Hendrickson
2006	Chris Greene	Dave Hendrickson	Arun Kumar
2007	Dave Hendrickson	Arun Kumar	Dave Shonts