The way ahead

In the spring of 1884, a small group of individuals in the electrical professions met in New York. They formed a new organization, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE), to support professionals in their nascent field and to aid them in their efforts to apply innovation for the betterment of humanity. With the new "radio" industry came a new society in 1912, the Institute of Radio Engineers (IRE). The IRE was modeled on the AIEE but was devoted to radio and then increasingly to electronics. On 1 January 1963, the AIEE and the IRE merged to form the IEEE. At its formation, the IEEE had 150,000 members, 140,000 of which were in the United States. By 2008, the IEEE amassed 375,000 members in 160 countries, with 43% of members residing outside of the United States.