This History of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers covering one-third of a century, from 1880 to the beginning of 1935, has been prepared under the direc tion of the Council. It has been carried ont under a com mittee composed of Prof. John B. Sweet, one of the founders of the Society, Charles Wallace Hunt, Ambrose Swasey, Frederick RenisenHutton, Past-Presidents of the Society, and Henry Harrison Suplee. The Committee is greatly Indebted to Mr. Suplee for pioneer work in gathering-material. The final preparation of the History was committed to Professor Hutton, who served the Society as its Secretary from 1883 to 1906 and as Presi dent in 1906-1907. He has been Honorary Secretary of the Society since 1907. DONTKNTS I Introduction, , ....., ., ..., ., .., .., .. ............., ....... II The Preliminary Htopfl Before tho Pirot Meeting ................ III The Pirut Mootinff. The Organ imtion .... ..........., ........, in IV PriuoiptoH of Hocioty Philo80j hy ..... .., .., ....... . ..... 22 V 4 mmittw of Uui H irtty. .., .., ., , , ., ., , , 70 VI PmutUmttt of tii Ho i fcy, HOIIW HignMeant Admiiitration, , 77 VI lni Clowicil of tho Hoeitty Vic-Prtwutenta, teriw antl Tr iaurow., ......, ., ....., ., , , , ........ 134 VIII Home Early Momtwn of tho Mociety--Eoiaorft ry MiiiiilMirs, , .., . I5 s IX Kotnblo Papers Ewt4 Btrfore th Boekity, ., ...., , .. 1111 X or Offieo AcstivitioH of tho MMsy lor tho Beaalt of Memtors, .., ......... p., , ......., , , ..., .., ., ., ., .., XI Hclquiirters of tho teiety. . . .......... ., . . ..........., . ITS XII Tho Meattagi of the So tety and What HIM MMte Tliem Momorabto 19 r UttAPWBt XTII Early Monthly d l oml Mwfetop, ., ..., ., ., ., .........., ., . 2j v CONTENTS CHAPTER XIV European Trips, Joint Meetings and Engineering Congress ..... CHAPTER XV The Library of the Society ........... . . ........ . . 7 CHAPTER XVI Some Professional Standards Recommended by Committoe of the Society ............................... . Ii7K CHAPTER XVII Professional Sections, Local Groups, Student Branches, Affiliate, 290 CHAPTER XVIII Historic Gifts to the Society, . ........ 20 CHAPTEK XIX Prizes and Medals. .............. . ....... 07 CHAPTER XX The John Pritz Medal United Engineering Society ........... 309 The Mechanical Engineer and the Function of the Engineering Society ..................................... VI A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS Til A HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS CHAPTER I INTBODTTCTOBY The concept of an American Society of Mechanical Engineers took shape in the winter of 1879-1880. At that time there were two engineering societies in existence in the United States. The American Society of Civil Engineers had been founded in 1852 and on January 1, 1880, its total membership was 601. The American Institute of Mining Engineers had been or ganized in 1871 and, on the same date, it numbered 1,031 members. The transactions of both these societies were broad in their scope, but there were many who felt that in neither organization did the engineers of production and of the factory and power plant, and the designers and managers of the producing machine shop gather in sufficient numbers to induce the preparation of papers and the presentation of discussion in these particular fields. At a little dinner in 1879 one of the contributors to a mechanical journal met several of theofficers of its company. A series of articles which had appeared in the publication were discussed and one of the partici pants said, I - would give a ten dollar bill to meet the author of these papers and get acquainted with him I like his style, and I think he must be a good fellow. Another said, That contributor is as anxious to meet you as you are to meet him...