IEEE Dallas Section History

AIEE Activities

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers was officially organized in 1963 through the merger of two prior professional organizations: The American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). A lot of effort was expended by many individuals in forming the IEEE. A committee was established to develop the planned merger of the two organizations. Dr. Lloyd Berkner, president of the AIEE, and past national president of the IRE; and Mr. Patrick E. Haggerty, president of the IRE at the time of the merger and first president of the IEEE, were instrumental in bringing about the merger of the organization. A Dallas branch of the AIEE had existed prior to the merger since 1956.

Past Chairmen of the Dallas Branch of the AIEE are listed below:

• 1956, Crandell
• 1957, Chadwick
• 1958, Tatum
• 1959, Robuck
• 1960, Sandlin
• 1961, Martin
• 1962, Fikar
• 1963, Reynolds

Dallas-Ft Worth IRE Section

A Dallas Section of the IRE had existed prior to the merger since 1941. Officers of the Dallas-Ft. Worth Section of the IRE 1941-1963 are listed below.  Officers before 1953-54 served until June.  Starting in 1953, the officers's terms began on July 1st.

IRE Officer Positions

Year	Chairman	Vice-Chairman	Secretary/Treasurer
1941	D.A. Peterson	Truett L. Kimzey	Paul C. Barnes
1942	Truett L. Kimzey	R.E. Beam	Paul C. Barnes
1943	Homer E. Applegate	Durward J. Tucker	Paul C. Barnes
1944	Durward J. Tucker	Nelson F. Barrett	Paul C. Barnes
1945	J.D. Mathis	Truett L. Kimzey	B.B. Honeycutt
1946	Roy M. Flynn	Robert A. Broding	J.G. Rountree
1947	Robert A. Broding	J.G. Rountree	Alfred S. LeVelle
1948	J.G. Rountree	Alfred S. LeVelle	John H. Homsey
1949	Alfred S. LeVelle	John H. Homsey	R.A. Arnett
1950	John H. Homsey	E.A. Hegar	R.A. Arnett
1951	E.A. Hegar	R.A. Arnett	John K. Godbey
1952	R.A. Arnett	John K. Godbey	John A. Green
1953-54	John K. Godbey	John A. Green	Mark W. Bullock
1954-55	John A. Green	Mark W. Bullock	Gordon K. Teal
1955-56	Mark W. Bullock	Gordon K. Teal	O. Frank Seay, Jr.
1956-57	Gordon K. Teal	Frank Seay	John Albano
1957-58	Frank Seay	John Albano	Thomas B. Moseley
1958-59	John Albano	Thomas B. Moseley	H. T. Wisseman
1959-60	Thomas B. Moseley	H. T. Wisseman	Tom Prickett
1960-61	H.T. Wisseman	Tom Prickett	L.B. Wadel
1961-62	Tom Prickett	L.B. Wadel	H.E. Sorrows
1962-63	L.B. Wadel	H.E. Sorrows	W.D. Mitchell

IEEE Dallas Section

The Dallas Section of the IEEE was organized in 1963. Merging the local branches of the AIEE and the IRE was a difficult task. It was decided that elected officials should include a Vice-Chairman-Electrical to represent the previous members of the AIEE and the a Vice-Chairman-Electronics to represent the previous members of the IRE. Other elected officers were the Chairman, Executive Vice-Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer. It was agreed by the early founders that the chairmanship would alternate between the electrical and electronic members. Elected officers served for twelve months beginning July 1.

IEEE Officer Positions

Year	Chairman	Executive Vice-Chairman	Vice-Chairman-Electronics	Vice-Chairman-Electrical	Treasurer	Secretary
1963-64	Howard E. Sorrows	P.S. King	W.D. Mitchell	R.S. Miner	David O. Martin	Earle W. Gray
1964-65	P.S. King	W.H. Clingman	J. L. Smith	J.R. Wilson	Frank Stuart	Bruce Williams
1965-66	W.H. Clingman	Gerson Berman	James Eckhert	Roy R. Parks	Paul Wible	R.D. Wood
1966-67	Gerson Berman	W.D. Mitchell	B.R. Hallford	J.D. Sandlin	Byron Johnson	B.R. Mayo
1967-68	W.D. Mitchell	H.R. Oliver	Bernard H. List	C.O. Love	H.A. Buchanan	S.L. Shockley
1968-69	H.R. Oliver	Ross L. Bell	Dr. Archie Broodo	D.D. Dunklin	Dr. David Grisson	Warren Chapman
1969-70	Ross L. Bell	R.S. Miner	Dr. Guy S. Rambie, Jr.	Joseph J. Julina	Max C. Jordan	J.A. Dannamiller
1970-71	R.S. Miner	Dr. M.B. O'Neal	Frank H. Clarke	Fred Oberlender	Dr. Chris O. Hemmi	Rex E. Phillips
1971-72	Dr. M.B. O'Neal	J.R. Wilson	B.R. Hallford	G.H. Stoddard	Udale C. Lawson	Dr. E. G. Gaustad

Reorganization of the Dallas Section in 1971

Dr. M. B. O'Neal, Chairman of the Dallas Section in 1971, nominated a committee for reorganizing the Dallas Section. Members of the committee were R.S. Miner - Chairman, B. R. Hallford, Howard Oliver, W. D. Mitchell, H.G. Stoddard, J. R. Wilson, and R. L. Bell.

The objective of the Comittee was summarized as follows:

1. Improve coordination and liason among the Section Societies and Section
2. Re-examine, update, and recommend improvements from a managerial standpoint in the overall organization.
3. Propose a more realistic mechanism for continuing editorial direction and business management of Direction magazine.
4. Establish a means for effective corrdination of regional or national IEEE conferences to be held in Dallas.

The Committee's report is contained in the following paragraphs:

As general changes to future Nomination Committees there was a very strong mutual feeling that the Dallas Section has become a large enough managerial operation that it is quite important that Section offices must be given only to those people with proven adminstrative capability who will have the necessary financial and secretarial support from their organizations to permit the offices to be discharged adequately. If further considerd necessary in the case of the Chairman, Executive Vice-Chairman, and the proposed new Group Vice-Chairman, that these individuals have sufficient time flexibility that will permit then the opportunity to travel to a limited number of regional or national meetings. (In most cases, it will be necessary for such travel to be paid for by the officer's employer.)

Principal recommendations for reorganization involved:

1. Adminstrative and financial management of the Section will be vested in a small Executive Committee, consisting only of the elected officers, which will meet at rather frequent intervals, as the Section may require.
2. Section activities relating to technical services to the Section Members, or having broader interest, would be handled in a larger meeting of a Board of Directors composed of all Section officers, Chairmen of each Society in the Section and Chairmen of designated principal committees. It is anticipated that the Board of Directors would meet perhaps two or three times a year.

Changes in reporting responsibilities woudl be made as follows to distribute the total management workload more equitabley:

1. A Groiup Vice-Chairman would be charged with co-ordinating the activities of all Section/Societies. He would be a former Chairman of one of the Section/Societies. It would be his responsibility to assist Society Chairman with the solution of their problems and serve as a two-way communications channel throughout the year between the Societies and the section, specifically including its Executive Committee.
2. An adminstrative Vice-Chairman would be designated to oversee the acitivities of the Industrial Liason, Student Activities, Awards, Professional Activities and Study Activity Comittees, as well as any related special assignments given to him by the Selection Chairman or Section Executive Committe (e.g. Centennial Activities Committee).
3. An Executive Vice-Chairman will carry full responsibility for publication of Direction magazine and the closely related activities of the Publicity, Entertainment and the Program Comittees. We would propose to continue the present continuity of office, wherein this officer normally moves up to the Chairman's position the following year. In recognition of this, we have also assigned to him responsibility for the Nominating and Conference Coordinating Committees.
4. The Section Chairman would need to be freed of supervisory responsibilities for all except the five elected officers, SWIEEECO Borad Representative, and delegate to the Dallas-Ft. Worth Council of Scientific and Engineering Societies.

Appropriate changes were made to the Bylaws of the Dallas Section and voted on by the membership. Elected officers since the reorganization are listed below:

Further Reading

Dallas Section Homepage

Winter Power Meeting, Dallas, 1984, tape 1, tape 2, tape 3, Awards Luncheon - A Centennial themed meeting of the Power Engineering society, which includes a historical presentation on the first 100 years, a panel discussion on the future of electric power, and announcement of the IEEE Centennial Award winners