ABET and IEEE: A History Intertwined

In 1932, IEEE's predecessor, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, and six other engineering organizations founded the Engineers' Council for Professional Development (ECPD). The ECPD had a mission to establish training plans for personal and professional development, devise methods whereby engineers could achieve recognition from their profession and the public, recognize engineering curricula that met specific standards and maintain a list of accredited curricula, and provide guidance for engineering students. That organization was the predecessor to the present-day ABET, which continues some of that mission today. Since that founding more than 77 years ago, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and now IEEE have been intimately intertwined in the ECPD's and ABET's history. This paper addresses how AIEE/IEEE, as a Founding Society, has had impact on ABET and how this partnership has sustained the quality of engineering, technology, and computing programs since the ECPD's inception almost 80 years ago.