IEEE Industrial Electronics Society History

Looking Back at 60 Years of IES

Originally published in the September 2011 Issue of Industrial Electronics Magazine, by Okyay Kaynak

The year 2011 is a very special year for the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society (IES): it is our 60th anniversary. You may be surprised that our history goes as far back as the early 1950s. Careful preparations were made to celebrate this very special occasion.

Past President Gerald Cook informed me that more information can be found in a message that he published in IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics in 1984 about the history of our Society. Thinking that many of our members, especially those who are relatively new to the Society, might welcome such historical facts, I reiterate a few interesting points that he made in his original article. I’ve also added a few.

• The first conference of the Society was held in 1975 in Philadelphia with the acronym IECI’75. Until then, only a session was being sponsored at the annual conferences of the IEEE Industry Applications Society.
• The first annual event outside the United States was held in Tokyo. The acronym IECON was used for the first time for this event in 1984.
• Fumio Harashima served as the IEEE secretary during 1990; Fernando Aldana served as the IEEE vice president for technical activities in 1991; and Troy Nagle made it right to the very top of IEEE and served as the president during 1994.
• Quite a few number of our past presidents (and members in general) received awards at the institute level (Harold Edgerton received the Leeds Award in 1965 and Harry Mergler the Lamme Award in 1978).

Many of our members from academia, such as Xavier Uceda, Imre Rudas, Ren Luo, Fumio Harashima, and Jose Rodriguez reached the highest academic positions, serving as the presidents of universities.

We have always been very internationalized. Fumio Harashima became the third IEEE Society president from outside the United States in 1986 (after the IEEE Signal Processing Society President R.A. Kaenel from Switzerland in 1971–1972 and the IEEE Dielectrics and Electrical Insulation Society President Ray Bartnikas from Canada in 1977–1978).

The IES always had a remarkable aptitude for identifying promising emerging technologies and focused its technical activities on them in a timely manner. The technologies include:

• microprocessors in the 1970s
• robotics in the 1980s
• mechatronics and factory automation in the early 1990s
• industrial information technology in the late 1990s.

IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics and IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics were direct outcomes of these activities. Our publication portfolio has these in addition to our most senior publication, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, and the youngest one, IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine.

In our 60th year, it is appropriate to extend our thanks and appreciation to all the past officers of the Society, the names of whom are listed in ‘‘Past Officers of IES.’’ The dates and locations of the annual meeting are also listed.

In conclusion, a cordial and warm invitation is extended to you to come and join us in Melbourne on 7–10 November for the special celebrations planned in connection with IECON 2011.

Timeline of important events

• February 21, 1951 - First meeting of the IRE Industrial Electronics Group
• May 8, 1951 - Name change to IRE Professional Group on Industrial Electronics (PG-IE)
• August 1953 - Published the first volume of the Transactions on Professional Group on Industrial Electronics
• August 21, 1963 - IRE merged with AIEE and become IEEE. The PG-IE approved the merger of IRE's PG-IE and AIEE's group on control instrumentation (GCI)
• August 22, 1963 - The merger of the PG-IE and the GCI into Professional Group on Industrial Electronics and Control Instrumentation (PG-IECI) was approved by the IEEE Executive Committee
• October 14, 1964 - Name change to Group on Industrial Electronics and Control Instrumentation (PG-IECI)
• Year 1975 - First IECON was held in Philadelphia. Until then there had been only a sponsored session at the Industry Aplications Society Conference
• March 20, 1978 - Name change to Industrial Electronics and Control Instrumentation Society (IECIS)
• June, 1982 - Name change to Industrial Electronics Society

Society Officers

Year	President (Until 1971 Chair)	Vice President(s)	Secretary	Treasurer	Transaction(s) Editor	Newsletter/Magazine Editor	Annual Meeting
1951	Eugene Mittelmann	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	N/A	N/A	N/A
1952	Eugene Mittelmann	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	N/A	N/A	N/A
1953	Eugene Mittelmann	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	Carl E. Smith	N/A	N/A
1954	George P. Bosomworth	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	Carl E. Smith	N/A	N/A
1955	George P. Bosomworth	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	Carl E. Smith	N/A	N/A
1956	George P. Bosomworth	Carl E. Smith	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	Carl E. Smith	N/A	N/A
1957	Carl E. Smith	William R. Thurston	J.E. Eiselein	J.E. Eiselein	Carl E. Smith	N/A	N/A
1958	William R. Thurston	J.E. Eiselein	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	E.A. Roberts	N/A	N/A
1959	William R. Thurston	J.E. Eiselein	C.A. Priest	C.A. Priest	E.A. Roberts	N/A	N/A
1960	J.E.Eiselein	E.A. Roberts	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R.W. Bull	N/A	N/A
1961	J.E. Eiselein	E.A. Roberts	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R.W. Bull	N/A	N/A
1962	J.E. Eiselein	E.A. Roberts	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R.W. Bull	N/A	N/A
1963	J.E. Eiselein	E.A. Roberts	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R.W. Bull	N/A	N/A
1964	E.A. Roberts	J.P. Leinesch and H.W. Patton	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	J.E. Casey	N/A	N/A
1965	E.A. Roberts	J.P. Leinesch and A.J. Hornfeck	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	J.E. Casey	N/A	N/A
1966	J.P. Lienesch	J. Keithley and A.J. Hornfeck	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	J.E. Casey	N/A	N/A
1967	J.P. Lienesch	C.W. Frick, A.J. Hornfeck, and J.E. Casey	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R. Mayer	A. Steensen	N/A
1968	Anthony J. Hornfeck	J.E. Casey and E. Mittelmann	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R. Spooner	A. Steensen	N/A
1969	Anthony J. Hornfeck	J.E. Casey and E. Mittelmann	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R. Spooner	A. Steensen	N/A
1970	J.E. Casey	E. Mittelmann and R.A. Dambach	Robert J. Roman	Robert J. Roman	R. Spooner	A. Steensen	N/A
1971	J.E. Casey	J.E. Tensin, R.H. MacPherson, and R. Gentile	J.B. Carolus	Robert J. Roman	R. Spooner	A. Steensen	N/A
1972	R.B. Spooner	R. Gentile, A.C. Jones, and E.S. McVey	J.B. Carolus	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	A. Steensen	N/A
1973	R.B. Spooner	R. Gentile	J.B. Carolus	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	A. Steensen	N/A
1974	Robert Mayer	R. Gentile	J.B. Carolus	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	A. Steensen	N/A
1975	Robert Mayer	R.W. Bolz	Gerald Cook	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	Joseph R. Mallon	11–12 March 1975, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1976	Roger W. Bolz	J. Giachino and W. Koepsel	Gerald Cook	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	Joseph R. Mallon	8–10 March 1976, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1977	Harry W. Mergler	J. Giachino, W. Koepsel, and S. Vahaviolos	Gerald Cook	Robert J. Roman	Roger W. Bolz	Victor Huang	21–23 March 1977, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1978	Harry W. Mergler	J. Giachino and S. Vahaviolos	Gerald Cook	Robert J. Roman	Sotirios J. Vahaviolos	Victor Huang	20–22 March 1978, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1979	Harry W. Mergler	R. Gentile and G. Cook	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Sotirios J. Vahaviolos	Victor Huang	19–21 March 1979, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1980	J. David Irwin	P.M. Russo and G. Cook	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Sotirios J. Vahaviolos	Victor Huang	17–20 March 1980, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1981	J. David Irwin	P.M. Russo, G. Cook, and H.T. Nagle	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Sotirios J. Vahaviolos	Victor Huang	15–19 November 1981, San Francisco, California
1982	Gerald Cook	P.M. Russo, P.P. Fasang, and H.T. Nagle	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	J. David Irwin	Victor Huang	15–19 November 1982, Palo Alto, California
1983	Gerald Cook	P.M. Russo, P.P. Fasang, and H.T. Nagle	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	J. David Irwin	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	7–11 November 1983, San Francisco, California
1984	H. Troy Nagle	R. Begun, P.P. Fasang, and H. Van Landingham	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	23–26 October 1984, Tokyo, Japan
1985	H. Troy Nagle	R. Begun, P.P. Fasang, and H. Van Landingham	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	18—22 November 1985, San Francisco, California
1986	Fumio Harashima	V.K.L. Huang, G.O. Beale, A.C. Weaver, and R.A. Begun	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	29 September–3 October 1986, Milwauke, Wisconsin
1987	Fumio Harashima	P.P. Fasang, G.O. Beale, A.C. Weaver, and R.C. Born	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	2–6 November 1987, Cambridge, Massachusetts
1988	Fernando Aldana	R.A. Begun, G.O. Beale, A.C. Weaver, R.C. Born	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	24–28 October 1988, Singapore
1989	Fernando Aldana	R.A. Begun, G.O. Beale, A.C. Weaver, R.C. Born	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Antony E. Pietrzykoski	6–10 November 1989, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1990	Robert Begun	T. Hori, H.T. Wo, A.C. Weaver, R.C. Born	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Gerald Cook	Philip W. Gold	27–30 November 1990, Pacific Grove, California
1991	Robert Begun	J. Uceda, H. Wo, A.C. Weaver, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	James C. Hung	Philip W. Gold	28 October–1 November 1991, Kobe, Japan
1992	Hubert Y.K. Wo	J. Uceda, R.J. Niederjohn, A.C. Weaver, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	James C. Hung	Philip W. Gold	9–13 November 1992, San Diego, California
1993	Hubert Y.K. Wo	R.J. Niederjohn, A.C. Weaver, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	James C. Hung	Philip W. Gold	15–19 November 1993, Lahaina, Hawaii
1994	Alfred Weaver	R. Niederjohn, H. Haneda, R. Zurawski, R.C. Luo, O. Kaynak, T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	James C. Hung	Philip W. Gold	5–9 September 1994, Bologna, Italy
1995	Alfred Weaver	R. Niederjohn, H. Haneda, R. Zurawski, R.C. Luo, O. Kaynak, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	James C. Hung	Philip W. Gold	6–10 November 1995, Orlando, Florida
1996	Russell J. Niederjohn (until May 1996), Hiro Haneda (acting as of May 1996)	H. Haneda, R. Zurawski, J.C. Hung, R.C. Luo, T.S. Low, O. Kaynak, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Joachim Holtz	Philip W. Gold	5–10 August 1996, Taipei, Taiwan
1997	Hiro Haneda	R.C. Luo, R. Zurawski, T.S. Low, O. Kaynak, T. Fukuda, and G. Buja	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Joachim Holtz	Philip W. Gold	9–14 November 1997, New Orleans, Louisiana
1998	James Hung	O. Kaynak, R. Ishii, G. Buja, K.W. Lim, T.S. Low, T. Fukuda, and T. Hori	Charles Einolf	Robert J. Roman	Joachim Holtz	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	31 August–4 September 1998, Aachen, Germany
1999	James Hung	O. Kaynak, R. Ishii, G. Buja, T. Hori, K.W. Lim, T.S. Low, and T. Fukuda	Charles Einolf	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	Joachim Holtz	Mo-Yuen Chow	29 November–3 December 1999, San Jose, California
2000	Ren C. Luo	M.Y. Chow, H. Hashimoto, K. Ohnishi, I. Rudas, P. Drews, and M.P. Kazmierkowski	Charles Einolf	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	Joachim Holtz	Carlos Couto	22–28 October 2000, Nagoya, Japan
2001	Ren C. Luo	M.Y. Chow, H. Hashimoto, K. Ohnishi, I. Rudas, P. Drews, and M.P. Kazmierkowski	Charles Einolf	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	Fumio Harashima	Carlos Couto	29 November–2 December 2001, Denver, Colarado
2002	M. Okyay Kaynak	C. Couto, H. Hashimoto, K. Ohnishi, R. Krishnan, K. Jezernik, and P. Drews	Charles Einolf	John Y. Hung	Fumio Harashima	Aleksander Malinowski	5–8 November 2002, Sevilla, Spain
2003	M. Okyay Kaynak	R. Krishnan, K. Ohnishi, C. Couto, K. Jezernik, P. Drews, and H. Hashimoto	Charles Einolf	John Y. Hung	Fumio Harashima	Aleksander Malinowski	2–6 November 2003, Roanoke, Virginia
2004	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	C.W. Einolf, L.G. Franquelo, R. Ishii, C. Couto, R. Krishnan, K. Jezernik, K. Ohnishi	Gerhard P. Hancke	John Y. Hung	Marian P. Kazmierkowski	Alexander Malinowski, Marco Liserre	2–6 November 2004, Busan, South Korea
2005	Bogdan M. Wilamowski	C.W. Einolf, L.G. Franquelo, R. Ishii, K. Jezernik, R. Krishnan, C. Cecati, and K. Ohnishi	Gerhard P. Hancke	John Y. Hung	Marian P. Kazmierkowski, O. Kaynak, and R. Zurawski	Marco Liserre	6–10 November 2005, Raleigh, North Carolina
2006	Charles W. Einolf, Jr.	K. Ohnishi, L.G. Franquelo, S. Bogosyan, K. Jezernik, M.-Y. Chow, K.F. Man, C. Cecati, and G.A. Capalino	Gerhard P. Hancke	John Y. Hung, Terry Martin	B.M. Wilamowski, O. Kaynak, and R. Zurawski	Marco Liserre	7–10 November 2006, Paris, France
2007	Charles W. Einolf, Jr.	K. Ohnishi, L.G. Franquelo, S. Bogosyan, G.A. Capalino, M.-Y. Chow, K.F. Man, and L. Gomes	Gerhard P. Hancke	John Y. Hung, and Terry Martin	B.M. Wilamowski and R. Zurawski	Marco Liserre	5–8 November 2007, Taipei, Taiwan
2008	Kouhei Ohnishi	L.G. Franquelo, G.A. Capalino, R. Schoop, K.F. Man, J.Y. Hung, L. Gomes, and K. Al-Haddad	Gerhard P. Hancke	Terry Martin	B.M. Wilamowski and R. Zurawski	Marco Liserre	10–13 November 2008, Orlando, Florida
2009	Kouhei Ohnishi	L.G. Franquelo, G.A. Capalino, R. Schoop, K.F. Man, J.Y. Hung, L. Gomes, and K. Al-Haddad	Gerhard P. Hancke	Terry Martin	B.M.Wilamowski and R. Zurawski	Marco Liserre	3–5 November 2009, Porto, Portugal
2010	L.G. Franquelo	G.A. Capalino, M. Valla, X. Yu, K. Al-Haddad, J.Y. Hung, L. Gomes, and M. Liserre	Gerhard P. Hancke	Terry Martin	M.Y. Chow and R. Zurawski	Mariusz Malinowski	7–10 November 2010, Glendale, Arizona
2011	L.G. Franquelo	G.A. Capalino, M. Valla, X. Yu, K. Al-Haddad, L. Gomes, Y. Ibrahim, and M. Liserre	Gerhard P. Hancke	Terry Martin	M.Y. Chow and B.M. Wilamowski	Mariusz Malinowski	7–10 November 2011, Melbourne, Australia

Further Reading

Link to IEEE Industrial Electronics Society