The History and Appreciation of National Professional Engineers Day

August 3^rd is National Professional Engineers Day! As of 2022, Clark Dietz currently has forty professional engineers. The holiday is young, but where did it come from? The history and appreciation of this national holiday is significant to the current possibilities for engineers and their contributions to society.

Obtaining an engineering license gives an engineer the ability to gain a professional engineering title. Earning an engineering license, requires years of study, work, and dedication. In the United States, the requirements vary by state. According to the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the general requirements for a license are as follows:

• A four-year engineering degree within a program approved by the engineering licensure board.
• Four years of experience in a qualified work setting are required.
• Successful completion of the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Examination and the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Examination. Both examinations are eight hours long.

It is no easy task to become a professional engineer due to the rigorous requirements to gain such a title, which is where the creation of the national holiday stemmed from.

History

The history of licensed engineer’s dates to 1907 in Wyoming, when a bill was presented to the Wyoming legislature to require licensure for engineers and land surveyors. The bill was presented by Charles Johnston, the state engineer of Wyoming. The bill was enacted, which made Wyoming the first state in the U.S. to register engineers.

On August 8, 1907, Charles Bellamy, Civil Engineer, was the first person to receive a professional engineering license. Six years later, Bellamy founded Bellamy and Sons Engineering, and to honor him, The Bellamy Chapter of the Wyoming Society of Professional Engineers was named after him.

Over one hundred years later, Professional Engineers Day was created by Tim Austin, PE, who was the President of the NSPE from 2015-16. Austin believed those in STEM fields had received their well-deserved appreciation, but one of the NSPE ideologies states, “being a licensed professional engineer means more than just holding a certificate and possessing technical competence. It is a commitment to hold the public health, safety, and welfare above all other considerations.”

Due to this ideology, Austin’s thought process was that appreciation should also be given directly to engineers for their dedication to the field and society. With the help of more NSPE staff, National Professional Engineers Day became a reality in 2015. The holiday is now annually celebrated on the first Wednesday of August.

Today we celebrate Professional Engineers within and beyond Clark Dietz. Their dedication and contribution to communities is appreciated today and every day. 

Thank you to all of our Professional Engineers!