CHAPTER HISTORY

The following history was compiled by Warin Green, our chapter's past historian for many years.  His version was condensed to appear on this website.  For his complete story, click here.

Elmer May  (President)    Cary Gamble (Vice President)     Leo Weil

Walter Moses, Jr.      Frank Burns       Gerald Kerr     O. E. Gammill Jr.

According to Society records, the Chapter was chartered in 1939.  The meetings recalled by Mr. May were probably informal meetings held prior to the actual formation of the Chapter.

Very little information is available on the early history of the New Orleans Section ASRE, E. K, "Sol" Strahan, Sr. joined ASRE in 1917 and moved to New Orleans in 1919.  Sol was a charter member and probably the first president of the New Orleans Section, which was organized sometime after the ASH&VE, chapter.

In December 1958, members of ASH&AE and ASRE voted to merge the two societies into the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE).   After the two Societies merged, the two New Orleans organizations began holding joint meetings in November 1958, which continued throughout the 1958-59 season.  At the May 1959 joint meeting, officers were elected for the 1959-60 term of the merged Society, the New Orleans Chapter of the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers, Inc. 

The New Orleans Chapter has hosted four Chapters Regional Conferences and four Society meetings.  The Society Meetings were the 1958 ASRE semi-annual meeting with Jack Knight as General Chairman.  The 1964 ASHRAE semi-annual meeting was chaired by Walter Cooke.  Waring Green was in charge of the 1972 semiannual meeting and Frank Schambach handled the 1994 winter meeting.

The 1972 meeting was the first winter meeting to have a trade show in an even year.  The 281 exhibitors used every available space in the old Rivergate Exposition Facility, totaling just 82,136 square feet.  There were 8,923 visitors, of which only 564 were international, excluding Canada.  At the meeting itself, which was held at the Fairmont Roosevelt, there were over 2,700 registrants including 647 spouses.

 In 1994 the exposition was held at the Morial Exhibition Center.  There were 18,055 visitors including 4,182 international guests, a record for an even year show, and 15,688 exhibitor personnel.  256,745 net square feet was sold, also a record for an even year show, and 10,300 sleeping rooms were used.

The NEW ORLEANS CHAPTER of the AMERICAN SOCIETY OF HEATING, REFRIGERATING, AND AIR-CONDITIONING ENGINEERS, INC. is looking ahead to the year 2005 and beyond.

Past Presidential Facts

List of Past Presidents

The Attic Fan Era - When IAQ was OAQ