Engineering Inc. - March/April 2009 - 16

1 9 6 0 –1969 The History of A C E C e decade saw CEC and AICE join in cooperative efforts to curb government competition, defend engineer registration and limit unfair liability. In 1960, the General Accounting Office (GAO) reported that using consulting engineers in the Federal Aid Highway Program resulted in higher costs. CEC countered with the publication Government vs. the Consulting Engineer, prompting congressional requests for GAO to produce “meaningful comparative cost numbers.” CEC also was active in the courts. In 1961, a New Jersey engineer was charged with infringing upon architectural practice, as defined by the state’s architectural registration law. In what became known as the McCamy Case, CEC successfully argued that the registration laws were for the public’s protection and that clients should be free to retain the design professional of their choice. In 1962, CEC moved its headquarters from Illinois to Washington, D.C., to be closer to the “heartbeat of the nation’s power.” With a seven-person staff headed by Executive Director Donald Buzzell, the group began to lay the groundwork for closer coordination between CEC and federal agencies and to enhance its presence on a national scale. In 1964, CEC was pivotal in overturning an unfair liability judgment against a New York engineering firm involved in a fatal construction accident; and in 1966, helped overturn the conviction of an engineer “for practicing architecture” in Nevada without a license, arguing that the state’s architectural registration law specifically permitted registered engineers to design buildings. The Council’s first national convention in Denver in 1964 was attended by 550 members and guests, representing 41 of 43 Member Organizations throughout the country. The Council created a life-health insurance plan for its membership, which eventually became the ACEC Life/Health Trust. It also held its first Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., in 16 ENGINEERING INC. MaRCh / apRIl 2009 Th Designed by Walter P Moore, the Houston Astrodome was hailed as the “eighth wonder of the world.” It was the first ballpark to have a roof over the playing field and the first to use synthetic grass known as AstroTurf. (Photo courtesy of Walter P Moore) The Lake Tahoe water system opened in 1961 as a model for future wastewater treatment facilities and also marked the first joint venture between Clair A. Hill & Associates and CH2M, which later became CH2M HILL. (Photo courtesy of CH2M HILL) 1965, and its first national awards competition, the Engineering Excellence Awards, in 1967. Most important, CEC adopted a policy in 1967 to urge introduction of federal legislation to exempt engineers and architects from competitive price selection requirements—a cause adopted by Rep. Jack Brooks of Texas. This touched off a congressional battle that would last more than four years. The GAO continued its attacks with a report in 1969 that suggested public agencies would save money using government engineers—even if private firms provided their services free.

Engineering Inc. - March/April 2009

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