Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) is a professional organization of engineers, scientists, and associated professionals whose interests [Page 238]are in the fields of electrical and computer science, engineering, and allied fields. The organization is anchored in 10 geographic regions; includes 36 professional societies and four technical councils; and coordinates 298 IEEE sections, 1,188 chapters, and 1,032 student branches as part of its outreach mission. IEEE was formed in 1963 from a merger of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) and the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). It is the world's largest professional organization, with more than 350,000 members in 150 countries.

The initials IEEE are probably best known to computer and technology enthusiasts due to the fact that the association is responsible for producing and documenting standards for hardware such as the IEEE 1394 designation (commonly called “Firewire”), which allows users to directly connect digital camcorders to, and edit video on, their computers. The standard is used for other equipment as well (e.g., digital cameras). The IEEE has also been instrumental in the development of other standards, such as those used by Bluetooth technology, which allows cellular phones, computers, and other technologies to communicate wirelessly.

The AIEE was formed in 1884 in New York, when several prominent figures in the development of electrical technology recognized the need for a professional organization in the rapidly expanding field. At the first general meeting of the AIEE, held on May 13, 1884, an official organizational structure and accompanying rules were adopted, and officers to lead the new organization were elected. The president of Western Union Telegraph Company, Norvin Green, was elected the first president, while other well-known figures including Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison served as the six initial vice presidents.

The first professional meeting occurred later that year at the International Electrical Exhibition in Philadelphia, and served as the impetus for the creation of the predecessor to one of IEEE's signature publications, Transactions of the AIEE, which published the papers presented at the meeting.

One of the earliest functions of the AIEE was to develop standards for engineers and the electrical industry. Early efforts focused on defining and refining relevant language and definitions and, by the 1890s, on creating and formalizing technical standards and protocols designed to create consistency across the industry. These efforts led to the creation of the Committee on Standardization in 1898. By the end of the century, the AIEE had grown into a respected professional organization; its first international section was created in Toronto, Canada, in 1903.

The IRE, on the other hand, was actually a splinter organization, created by the departure of radio engineers from the AIEE—who perceived themselves as too specialized for the organization—and the merger between two faltering organizations, the Society of Wireless Telegraph Engineers (SWTE) and the Wireless Institute. The resulting international organization was patterned after the AIEE. Officially created in 1912, the IRE would take only three years to expand into 11 other countries. Like the AIEE, it quickly took on responsibility for standardizing the radio industry and published a professional journal, Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

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