FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Mary Krome
SME Public Relations
313/271-1500, ext. 1855
313/684-8062 - beeper
krommar@sme.org
June Scangarello
ASME Public Relations
212/591-7880
scangarelloj@asme.org
SME AND ASME EXPLORE MERGER
NEW YORK & DEARBORN, Mich. - March 22, 1999 - The American Society of
Mechanical Engineers (ASME International) and the Society of
Manufacturing Engineers (SME) have announced their intention to explore
closer collaboration and a potential merger. The governing boards of
both organizations agreed to this objective at their meetings in March.
The joint announcement was issued by SME President Cecil W. Schneider
and ASME President Winfred M. Phillips.
The objective of an ultimate merger of SME and ASME would be to advance
their educational missions and provide enhanced services to their
individual members. A merger would create a single, unified
organization that would better serve the entire range of professional
needs and would be increasingly responsive to the rapidly changing
environment in which the members live and work. This merger of two
successful societies is designed to preserve the rich traditions of each
and realize the advantages to the profession of an organization which
serves the technical interests of its members and customers in research,
design, and manufacturing.
Both ASME and SME have a long and distinguished history of service to
the engineering profession through a comprehensive array of programs and
services designed to improve the competence of their members and the
engineering community at large. The new organization will be better
positioned to serve that community and a combined membership of nearly
200,000 engineering professionals. A Blue Ribbon Committee, with
membership from both societies, has examined the top level governance
structures of both organizations, and concluded that a single structure
could be designed that would be mutually acceptable.
SME, established in 1932, has as its mission to serve its members and
the international manufacturing community through the advancement of
professionalism, knowledge and learning. Headquartered in Dearborn,
Mich., SME has some 65,000 members.
ASME, established in 1880, has as its mission to promote and enhance the
technical competency and professional well-being of its members, and
through quality programs and activities, in mechanical engineering,
better enable its practitioners to contribute to the well-being of
mankind. Headquartered in New York City, ASME has some 125,000 members.
-30-
No. 31
SME background information and news releases can be accessed on the SME
Home Page at www.sme.org. ASME background information can be accessed
on the ASME Home Page at www.asme.org.
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