Let’s take a brief walk down memory lane to refresh the recollection of the old timers, like myself, and perhaps introduce our younger members to something they were not aware of.  The beginning of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) dates back to 1884 as the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE).  In 1963 the AIEE merged with the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE), which had existed since 1912.

These two groups had a large number of members in common and came to realize that their general interests in electrical and electronic engineering lay together.  So they decided to join forces to form IEEE.  Since the merger, Electrical Engineering has proven to be the profession at the forefront in most modern technological development.

When the founding organizations were joined in 1963, there was a considerable effort to unify and simplify their logos while at the same time retaining their historical significance.  The result of this work is the present IEEE logo to which we often refer as the kite and the right hand rule symbol.

The right hand rule is symbolic of the relationship between the electrical and magnetic fields.  It is a reminder that electrical engineering is a learned profession based on calculus and the higher order of mathematics and so is the technology that flows from it.  The kite is found in the original logo of the AIEE and represents the kite used by Benjamin Franklin when he discovered electricity in lightning.  So the kite immortalizes discovery as an essential element of the engineering profession.  By the way, the first AIEE logo was designed by a committee headed by Alexander Graham Bell in 1893.

On another subject our speaker for the May Section Meeting is the Director of Region 5, Joe Lillie.  His topic “Personal Responsibility for Success” will be of interest to any individual interested in developing his professional skills.  So bring a companion to the meeting, your spouse, your boyfriend, your girlfriend, your best friend or just a friend.  They will find the presentation useful and since Joe was the 1989 International Cajun Joke Telling Champion there would be some good humor available.