Chapter History

The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), West Tennessee Chapter had elected officers that included Associate Members in 1966. The ASSE Headquarters in Chicago refused Mr. Tom Nolen, (MLG&W), the delegate to Chicago for the 1967 National Meeting, admission as the Chapter was being placed on probation. The local Chapter accepted this action and dissolved itself. Several members continued to pay National Dues and keep the ASSE Membership.

Congress passed the Williams-Steiger Act in early 1970, which became the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) which changed the way Occupational Safety would be regulated in the workplace. OSHA conducted the first local orientation in 1970 in Memphis at the Fire Department Training Facility. The local manufacturing and service industry began to appoint safety directors and to upgrade their positions. There was a meeting at Memphis State University in 1974 called by Dr. George Hitt which included Dr. Hitt, Billy Cox, Marvin Camp, Jim Finley, Ed Walsh, John Raiford, Jack Shepherd and Mr. Hillman Deaton, the ASSE Regional VP. The decision to form a section was made and a membership drive began. A letter to Mr. Deaton dated May 20, 1974 indicated that the West Tennessee Section had 28 members with 9 applications submitted and 3 application on hand. Soon after, Mr. Gene Newman, the National ASSE President who was contacted and escorted while he was in Memphis, reinstated the West Tennessee Section to Chapter Status. The records of the local Chapter had been found at the local National Safety Council and Mr. Newman was able to restore the Chapter Charter and obtain the records in 1974. The Chapter soon grew to 100 members and has maintained solid membership and provided safety guidance to the local area to this date. The Chapter assisted with the establishing of the Jackson, Tennessee Section when the West Tennessee Chapter began to work with safety professionals in Jackson, Tennessee and surrounding area and decided to establish an ASSE Section. We supported this Section and attended their meetings. The Section soon became a Chapter and has operated successfully to the present day.

With the approval of Mr. Gene Barfield, Region VI VP and local ASSE chapters, Jack Shepherd and Dottie Spurling of Lockheed mailed a letter to all safety personnel associated with ASRM Lockheed/Aerojet who was constructing a Rocket Engine plant at the former Nuclear TVA Generation Station in north Mississippi. The date was Sept 15, 1991 and included all the local industry and government safety personnel in the area. We secured the necessary 20 members and began processing the application for Section Status when the project was terminated and many Safety personnel left the area. There are several of those members who are still members of other local ASSE chapters in Memphis and Alabama.

The West Tennessee Chapter of ASSE has joined with the Local Chapters of AIHA and CHMM to conduct joint meetings and share members and training.

The West Tennessee Chapter has continued into the Century 2000 serving Safety Professionals and continues to provide Safety Leadership to the community, local industry, and Government.

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