The American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers

The American Institute of Mining,
Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers

AIME HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS

AIME was founded in 1871 by 22 mining engineers in Wilkes-Barre, PA. As one of the first national engineering societies established in the United States, and along with ASCE (civil), ASME (mechanical), IEEE (electrical), and AIChE (chemical), it is known as an Engineering Founder Society. Together, the Founder Societies form the United Engineering Foundation, Inc.

Today the memberships of the AIME Member Societies total over 127,000 and includes some of the most important, influential, and innovative figures in the engineering and scientific communities.
    1873
  • Member Grades Established
  • First Transactions Printed
    1876
  • Institute Participates in Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia,
  • Raising Funds to Provide and Staff a Headquarters
    1884
  • Rossiter W. Raymond Becomes Secretary; Holds Post for 27 Consecutive Years

    • 1890
  • Andrew Carnegie Serves as Chair of the Committee on Arrangements for the AIME Meeting

    • 1893
  • AIME Participates in World’s Columbian Exposition to Raise Funds for World Engineering Congress Held in Conjunction with the Exposition

    • 1904
  • AIME Establishes the United Engineering Society with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers for the AIME Meeting

    • 1905
  • A.I.M.E. Bulletin Established

    • 1906
  • A.I.M.E. is incorporated in New York
  • Cornerstone for new United Engineering Society Building Laid by Andrew Carnegie’s Wife

    • 1907
  • Headquarters Established in New York City
  • Engineering Societies Library Established

    • 1908
  • Transactions Awarded Gold Medal for High Quality Publications at Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition

    • 1910
  • American Society of Civil Engineers Joins AIME and Other Societies in the United Engineering Society (Now Called the United Engineering Trustees)

    • 1911
  • Membership Exceeds 4,000 (30% Outside of United States)
  • First Three Local Sections Formed in New York, Boston, Spokane
  • A Committee in Increase in Membership Formed
  • First Committee on Publications Established
  • Dr. Raymond Becomes Secretary Emeritus of Institute
  • Fire Destroys Much of AIME Library

    • 1912
  • Iron and Steel Division, the Prototype of Later Technical Committees, Created

    • 1913
  • New Constitution and By-Laws Adopted
  • Local Sections Formed in San Francisco, Colorado, Puget Sound, Montana, St. Louis, and Southern California
  • First Membership Committee Formed

    • 1914
  • Nine Technical Committees Formed
  • The Engineering Foundation Established for United Engineering Society

    • 1917
  • Woman’s Auxiliary to the AIME Established

    • 1918
  • AIME Absorbs American Institute of Metals; First Professional Division of AIME Formed Out of Merger
  • Student Members Admitted as Junior Associates Under a Constitutional Amendment

    • 1919
  • Renamed American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers

    • 1920
  • Raymond Memorial Volume Published by Institute
  • Herbert Hoover Serves as President
  • First Robert W. Hunt Medal and Prize Awarded

    • 1921
  • Institute of Metals Lecture Established

    • 1922
  • Petroleum Division Formed
  • First James Douglas Medal Awarded

    • 1923
  • J.E. Johnson, Jr. Award Established
  • Howe Memorial Lecture Developed

    • 1925
  • First Open Hearth Conference Held

    • 1926
  • First Regional Meetings Held

    • 1927
  • Annual Meeting Featured First Conference of Local Section Delegates
  • Rocky Mountain Fund Established

    • 1928
  • Iron and Steel Division Formed
  • Junior Associateship Abolished and Replaced with Student Associate and Junior Member Grades

    • 1929
  • Seeley W. Mudd Memorial Fund Formed

    • 1930
  • Coal Division Formed

    • 1932
  • Mineral Industry Education Division Formed
  • First Complimentary Volumes Sent to Junior Members through Seeley W. Mudd Fund
  • First Charles F. Rand Memorial Medal Awarded

    • 1933
  • Institute of Metals Division Established Division

    • 1934
  • Metals Technology Published

    • 1935
  • Industrial Minerals Division Formed
  • Agreement with Iron and Steel Institute and Institute of Metals (Both in United Kingdom) Creates Junior Foreign Affiliate Grade

    • 1936
  • Anthony F. Lucas Medal Awarded for First Time

    • 1937
  • Mining Technology Published

    • 1938
  • Petroleum Technology Published
  • Yearbook Discontinued
  • Endowment Fund X from an Anonymous Donor Established

    • 1939
  • Charles Hayden Memorial Fund Established

    • 1940
  • Robert C. Gemmell Memorial Fund Formed
  • Iron and Steel Division Established B.J. McKune Memorial Award
    1942
  • Percy Nicholls Award Established

    • 1945
  • Henry L. Doherty Memorial Fund Established
  • Rossiter W. Raymond Award Established

    • 1946
  • Coal Technology Published

    • 1947
  • 3,000 Attend Annual Meeting and 75th AIME Anniversary Celebration in New York City

    • 1948
  • Three New Journals Authorized - Mining Engineering, Journal of Metals, Technology Practice, and Journal of Petroleum Engineers

    • 1949
  • Last Technical Committee Dissolved; Replaced by 70-80 Divisions
  • Technical Activities Separated into Three Branches: Mining, Metals, and Petroleum
  • First Erskine Ramsay Gold Medal Awarded

    • 1950
  • First Robert H. Richards Award Presented

    • 1955
  • First Benjamin F. Fairless Award Presented

    • 1956
  • First Mineral Industry Education Award Presented
  • Name Changed to American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical, and Petroleum Engineers

    • 1957
  • Three Semiautonomous Societies Formed From Institute Branches: The Metallurgical Society of AIME, Society of Mining Engineers of the AIME, and the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME
  • AIME By-Laws Rewritten and Simplified

    • 1958
  • The Metallurgical Society of AIME Published Bimonthly Transactions of The Metallurgical Society of AIME

    • 1959
  • First Hal Williams Hardinge Award Presented

    • 1961
  • Headquarters Moved into United Engineering Center on United Nations Plaza in New York City
  • Local sections Grew to 96, Including 85 in the United States and 11 Outside of the United States
  • Petroleum Society Accounts for 40 Percent of Total AIME Membership with 14,100 Members
  • Society of Petroleum Engineers Begins SPE Journal

    • 1962
  • Membership Records Changed Over to Data Processing Methods

    • 1966
  • First Mineral Economics Award Presented

    • 1967
  • AIME Appoints Ten Year Look Committee

    • 1968
  • AIME (As Lead Society) Established Offshore Technology Conference

    • 1969
  • First Robert Earll McConnell Award Presented

    • 1970
  • Membership Reaches 48,400

    • 1971
  • AIME Celebrates Centennial in New York; Planning Took Five Years

    • 1972
  • First Environmental Conservation Distinguished Service Award Presented

    • 1973
  • AIME Business Office Decentralized and Assigned to Constituent Societies
  • Society of Mining Engineers Moves Headquarters from New York City to Salt Lake City

    • 1974
  • Fourth Society - Iron and Steel Society - Formed
  • Iron & Steelmaker Established

    • 1978
  • The Metallurgical Society and Iron and Steel Society Move From New York to Pittsburgh
  • Society of Mining Engineers Moves From Salt Lake City to Denver

    • 1980
  • Membership Reaches 70,791 (Excluding Students)
  • AIME Leads Establishment of American Association of Engineering Societies

    • 1982
  • Ad-Hoc Transitions Committee Presents Recommendations for Greater Decentralization

    • 1984
  • Four Societies Become Separately Incorporated

    • 1985
  • Established AIME as a Federation Comprised of Four Member Societies
  • Governing Body Restructured to a Board of Trustees
  • Membership Reaches 83,307 (Excluding Students)

    • 1988
  • Long-Range Plan Implemented, Initiating New Programs and Activities

    • 1990
  • Membership Reaches 73,236 (Excluding Students)

    • 1993
    AIME Approves Transformations Project
    1994
  • Board Approves Financial Support of Overarching Programs and Individually Approved Programs of Member Societies

    • 1995
  • Sponsorship of Engineering Societies Library Transferred to Linda Hall Library
  • Membership Reaches 69,997 (Excluding Students)
  • AIME Establishes a Site on the Internet

    • 1996
  • AIME Celebrates 125th Anniversary at Joint Meeting with TMS in Anaheim, California
  • Presents Commemorative Plaque to the Mayor of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

    • 1997
  • First AIME Board of Trustees Retreat, December 16, 1997, Cleveland, Ohio

    • 1998
  • First AIME Annual Meeting held outside United States, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    • 2003
  • Moved Corporate Headquarters to Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration  Building in Littleton, CO

    • 2004
  • AIME Member Society, The Iron and Steel Society (ISS) merges with the Association of Iron and Steel Engineers (AISE) to form the Association of Iron and Steel Technology (AIST). This increases AIME total membership by more than 5000.

    • 2005
  • AIME establishes the John S. Marshall Memorial Scholarship


  Physical Address: 8307 Shaffer Parkway, Littleton, CO 80127-4012
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 270728, Littleton, CO 80127-0013
Phone: 303-948-4255 Fax: 303-948-4260 E-mail: aime@aimehq.org



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