Arkansas ASHRAE: Origins

The seed for Arkansas ASHRAE was planted on November 19, 1951, with an organizing meeting at the downtown location of the Little Rock Refrigeration Company.  The Chairman of the meeting was Ernest Pettit, Jr. of Petitt and Pettit, and the purpose of the meeting was to initiate the process for an Arkansas Chapter of ASHVE (as ASHRAE was titled at that time).

The organizing meeting hosted two special guests:  C.N. Allen, a council member of the Society, who traveled from Kansas City, Missouri to speak.  Mr. Allen spoke on the history of national ASHRAE from its origin in 1895.  Allen also stated that the principal objectives of the Society are to advance the Arts and Sciences of Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning and to promote scientific research and educational facilities for the safety and welfare of the general public. 

 The other special guest was Stanford Beaty, the President of the Shreveport Chapter of ASHVE.  Mr. Beaty detailed the progress of his chapter since its inception. 

At the end of the meeting, the group voted to have a follow-up dinner meeting at the Albert Pike Hotel on December 4^th,1951 at which the application for an ASHVE Chapter membership would be presented and approved by the group.

 All the paperwork for a new ASHVE Chapter was reviewed and approved at the December 4^th, 1951, meeting, and the articles of membership were submitted to national ASHVE.  The Arkansas Chapter of ASHVE was chartered on January 27,1952 with Ernest Pettit as the first President.

After being Chartered in 1952, the Arkansas Chapter of ASHRAE gained in membership and performance until by 1972, it had reached “Best in World” status among all the national and international ASHRAE chapters.  This was the beginning of our continuing history as one of the premier Chapters in ASHRAE.

Society recognition of Arkansas ASHRAE’s 50^th Anniversary (2002).

By Russell Black, Arkansas ASHRAE Historian