ASME Presidents and Globalization

ASME Presidents and Globalization ASME Presidents and Globalization ASME Presidents and GlobalizationFor the first 90 or so years of its existence, ASME concerned itself chiefly with engineering in the United States. But as the Societys focus shifted outward in the last few decades of the twentieth century, ASMEs presidents played a pivotal role.Since the 1970s,ASME presidentshave increasingly traveled the globe to represent ASME as signatories to international agreements, to forge alliances and friendships among ASMEs international counterparts, and to serve as the face of an increasingly global society that understands engineering to be important not just in the U.S., but everywhere. As Richard Folsom (ASME President, 1972-73) said in anoral history interview Weve got to look at engineering on an international basis, to have an influence and gain experience.ASME made the formal decision to expand into the international arena at a now-legendary 1970 Goals Conference known as Arde n House.Donald E. Marlowe(ASME President, 1969-70) convened the historic conference to re-envision all of the Societys activity for a new era. It welches at Arden House that ASME declared that strengthening the ties among engineers worldwide would become one of the Societys official goals for the future.This declaration quickly confronted the governors with a consequential choice Should they change ASMEs name to reflect its international aims? Or should ASME remain an American Society as it opened to the world? Happily, said Donald N. Zwiep (ASME President, 1979-80), Society leaders decided to keep the ASME name, remain the American Society, and embrace a globalizing future by establishing partnerships with sister organizations around the globe. ASME decided, said Zwiep, to help the ME organizations in (other) countries rather than amalgamate them as part of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In his own oral history, Allen Rhodes (ASME President, 1970-71) agreed with thi s approach Rhodes thought it better to work on the international scene as an American society too. Vickie Rockwell (ASME President, 2011-2012 ) at a UNESCO Signing ceremony in June 2012.Vickie Rockwell (ASME President, 2011-2012 ) at a UNESCO Signing ceremony in June 2012.In the years following Arden House, ASME set about building those agreements of cooperation with its sister societies around the world. To make it happen, ASME presidents were called into service as the Societys global ambassadors. Among them, Arthur Bergles (ASME President, 1990-91) welches among the most traveled. We celebrated the 20th year of international partnership-building said Bergles, by signing agreements of cooperation with engineering societies in France, Belgium, Italy, Norway, Yugoslavia, Argentina and Israel, bringing the total then to 28.Nathan Hurt (ASME President, 1991-92) spent much of his tenure traveling the globe on behalf of ASME as well. Hurt described leading international m issions to formal summits with engineering societies in Australia, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Israel and Singapore.By that time, ASMEs presidents had come to expect extensive global travel for much of their terms an enriching and surprisingly demanding new requirement of the job.Beyond their ambassadorial work, manyASME leadersof recent decades also came to believe Society members must be ready for an increasingly international engineering marketplace. In his presidential term in 2003-04, Reggie Vachon advocated for a Mobility of Engineering Credentials working group for this reason. With globalization, said Vachon, engineers are going to have to prepare themselves to be able to practice across geopolitical boundaries. He believes strongly that were in a world where people have to interact, and the practice of engineering is across borders.ASMEs leaders had also come to binnensee engineering itself as an international activity. The earths atmosphere, the ozone la yers which are disappearing, this is an international problem, said Folsom in his oral history interview.ASME had evolved to see its responsibility as including but by no means limited to the scope of U.S. engineering. ToTerry Shoup(ASME President, 2006-07), the continuing need for international focus was clear The fastest-growing segment of our membership population is from outside the United States. Our codes and standards are now in places where they werent before. Our technical conferences are more global than theyve ever been before, said Shoup in his oral history interview. Shoup was pleased that ASME has pushed globalization as an important priority for what we are doing and how were doing it.View a video clip from ASMEs Oral History with Terry E. Shoup.Thus a tradition begun in 1970 is still going strong today. When ASME first made the decision to reach out to the wider world, its presidents led the way as global ambassadors, policy advocates, and spokespeople for the engine ering profession. Theyre still doing so today.Read more about ASME Presidents and Globalization The copyright of this program is owned by ASME.