HISTORY of the Eastern Virginia Chapter
of ASM International


The American Society for Metals has had a presence in eastern Virginia for some time. A formal request for the establishment of a Richmond Chapter ASM was made by petition to National HQ on October 28, 1957. This petition was accepted by the Board of Trustees on November 5, 1957, and an organizational meeting was held in the Reynolds Metals Company dining room on November 20, 1957. The Charter presentation was made at the April 2, 1958, National Officers Night meeting by President G. M. Young and Secretary "Bill" Eisenman.

Initial membership of the chapter was approximately 50. This increased in 1958 to 110 as Reynolds Metals Company transferred a number of its employees from Louisville. Significant membership increases also occurred as employees from the Newport News Shipbuilding Company and the Babcock and Wilcox Company (Lynchburg) joined the chapter. In 1962, membership stood at 148.

In 1963 members from Newport News Shipbuilding decided to start a chapter in the Tidewater area and 35 members were transferred from the Richmond Chapter. The name chosen was the Hampton Roads Chapter. In 1999, a request was made to ASM to merge the two Chapters again. This brought the combined membership to about 240. The new Chapter name chosen was the Eastern Virginia Chapter.

Regular meetings have been held on the second Tuesday of each month, September through May. Outstanding speakers have presented a wide varie ty of information about metals, ranging in subject matter from practical uses and properties to fundamental scientific. Three special meetings were an annual custom: Student-Teacher Night, Ladies Night (May) and the Chapter has each year been invited to participate in the Joint Engineers Meeting (February). In addition to its regular meetings, the chapter hosted the Southern Metals Conference in 1967 and continues to sponsor educational seminars with continuing educational credits (CEUs).

Officers and members of our Chapter have been active in national affairs of ASM. They have participated in national Committee meetings, in meetings with officers of other chapters and have taught ASM courses at Materials Park. Also, members have been featured speakers at regular meetings of other chapters. The Chapter has been honored to have eight members elected to the ASM Fellow status.

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