The president´s responsibilities

First, I wish to express to all members of the Institute my appreciation of the great honor that has been conferred on me in my being elected your president for the ensuing year. The office is one of great distinction. We are 63 years old this year and number over 27,000 members, the largest engineering society in the world. Many renowned engineers have helped to fashion the Institute into what it is today — an important factor in the shaping of many of our ways of life. I indeed would be embarrassed by my personal inadequacies, did I not realize that the success of the Institute depends not so much on the ability of the president or his activities, as upon the ability and activities of the thousands of members scattered over the continent who are willing to contribute so much to the success of the organization through their work in the Sections and the committees.