A new commission for the electrical century

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Between 1904 and 1906 the proposal to create the International Electrotechnical Commission was transformed into reality. Mark Frary and Jeanne Erdmann describe the work that led to this in the second of our two-part series commemorating 100 years of global standardization in the electrotechnical industry. This article is reproduced with the IEC’s permission.

Much was going on in the world during the period from 1904 to 1906. Einstein published his paper on the Special Theory of Relativity, US engineers had just begun work on the Panama Canal and the picture postcard, the ice cream cone and the jukebox were invented.

On both sides of the Atlantic, factories and townships were clamouring for more electricity to replace outmoded gas and oil lighting systems. HG Wells, in the North American Review (1901), predicted the electrical century ahead when houses and factories would be heated, ventilated and operated by electricity.

In the world of electrical engineering much was happening, too. John Ambrose Fleming, Britain’s first ever professor of electrical engineering, invented the thermionic valve while in the US, Lee De Forest invented the triode. This was the period that saw the beginnings of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).

The IEC is formed

At the 1904 International Electrical Congress in St Louis, delegates carried a resolution to the effect that:

Steps should be taken to secure the co-operation of the technical societies of the world by the appointment of a representative commission to consider the question of the standardization of the Nomenclature and Ratings of Electrical Apparatus and Machinery.

The delegates were then charged to return to their respective technical societies to take action on this resolution and “communicate the results of such action to Colonel R E B Crompton, Chelmsford, England and to the President of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, New York City.”

Colonel Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton, who had been asked by Britain’s Institution of Electrical Engineers to accompany its President, J K Gray, to America to represent British electrical engineering, was a key figure in the industry.

The inimitable Colonel Crompton

Colonel Crompton was born in Yorkshire, England in 1845 and like many Victorian era engineers had a panoply of interests. His Kensington Court power station in London was one of the first in the city and he was involved in many of Britain’s early public lighting and electricity supply schemes.

On his return from the Congress, Crompton communicated the desire of the Congress to the British Engineering Standards Committee, which brought together engineers from all disciplines, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers to discuss matters regarding standardization.

Oui, Si, Yes, Ja and Hai

At the end of 1905, Colonel Crompton announced to the Institution of Electrical Engineers Council that he had sent out preliminary enquiries regarding the Commission and had received favourable responses from the electrical societies of nine countries. These were the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, France’s Société Internationale des Electriciens, Italy’s Associazione Elettrotecnica Italiana, the Canadian Electrical Association, Germany’s Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker and Austro-Hungary’s Elektrotechnischer Verein. The electrical societies of Denmark, Sweden and Norway also expressed their interest in the proposals.

The Commission came together in June 1906 under the chairmanship of Alexander Siemens, president of the Executive Committee.

At the first meeting on Monday June 26, the Commission was constituted by adopting a set of rules for its modus operandi and the first incumbents were appointed to the fledgling IEC Council.

Kelvin for President

Because of his major role in bringing the Commission to fruition, Colonel Crompton was an obvious choice for one of the roles and he was duly appointed as the IEC’s first Honorary Secretary.

The role of first IEC President was bestowed upon Lord Kelvin. Kelvin’s best-remembered legacy is his work on thermodynamics and in particular for the concept of absolute zero, the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases. However, he had a prodigious output as a scientist and electrical engineer.

Although Kelvin and Crompton were the first public faces of the IEC, the contribution of Professor Elihu Thomson should not be forgotten.

The American influence

Professor Thomson was born in 1853 in Manchester, England but his family moved to Philadelphia when he was five. Initially his interests were in the field of chemistry and indeed his professorship was in this area. But by 1880, Thomson had become totally absorbed into the rapidly developing field of electrical engineering. He was granted a multitude of patents, including the electric welding machine, and the firm he founded with E J Houston merged later with Edison’s firm to create the General Electric Company.

Speaking about those early years of international co-operation to Colonel Crompton a few years after the IEC’s inauguration, Professor Thomson said:

“No work of such huge importance to the electrical industry has exceeded that of the work commenced during the last few years in the international exchange of electrical ideas. It is a very difficult thing to carry on these matters internationally; there are many jealousies to be overcome, many susceptibilities to be met; and it is something to be proud of that no quarrels and no troubles have yet arisen.”

That same spirit of cooperation persists today as the IEC celebrates its hundred years of existence.

Australian involvement

Australia joined the still-young IEC in 1925, with first the Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association, and then the Standards Association of Australia (now Standards Australia) providing the national committee for IEC. The work of many earlier Australian contributors to IEC is now confined to the archives, but their legacy is a suite of internationally based electrical standards embodying the best of current thinking and international agreement. More recently, Standards Australia has hosted the IEC General Meeting in 1979 and 1993, and provided an IEC President (1990-1993), Mr Richard Brett AM. Currently one of IEC’s Vice Presidents is Australian, Mr Don Gray and Ms Else Shepherd AM has been nominated to the IEC Council Board.

This document last updated: 2004-09-29

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Home Publications Compliance Training Assurance Our Company A new commission for the electrical century Home > Newsroom > Tgs > 2004-10 > Iec Between 1904 and 1906 the proposal to create the International Electrotechnical Commission was transformed into reality. Mark Frary and Jeanne Erdmann describe the work that led to this in the second of our two-part series commemorating 100 years of global standardization in the electrotechnical industry. This article is reproduced with the IEC’s permission. Much was going on in the world during the period from 1904 to 1906. Einstein published his paper on the Special Theory of Relativity, US engineers had just begun work on the Panama Canal and the picture postcard, the ice cream cone and the jukebox were invented. On both sides of the Atlantic, factories and townships were clamouring for more electricity to replace outmoded gas and oil lighting systems. HG Wells, in the North American Review (1901), predicted the electrical century ahead when houses and factories would be heated, ventilated and operated by electricity. In the world of electrical engineering much was happening, too. John Ambrose Fleming, Britain’s first ever professor of electrical engineering, invented the thermionic valve while in the US, Lee De Forest invented the triode. This was the period that saw the beginnings of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The IEC is formed At the 1904 International Electrical Congress in St Louis, delegates carried a resolution to the effect that: Steps should be taken to secure the co-operation of the technical societies of the world by the appointment of a representative commission to consider the question of the standardization of the Nomenclature and Ratings of Electrical Apparatus and Machinery. The delegates were then charged to return to their respective technical societies to take action on this resolution and “communicate the results of such action to Colonel R E B Crompton, Chelmsford, England and to the President of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, New York City.” Colonel Rookes Evelyn Bell Crompton, who had been asked by Britain’s Institution of Electrical Engineers to accompany its President, J K Gray, to America to represent British electrical engineering, was a key figure in the industry. The inimitable Colonel Crompton Colonel Crompton was born in Yorkshire, England in 1845 and like many Victorian era engineers had a panoply of interests. His Kensington Court power station in London was one of the first in the city and he was involved in many of Britain’s early public lighting and electricity supply schemes. On his return from the Congress, Crompton communicated the desire of the Congress to the British Engineering Standards Committee, which brought together engineers from all disciplines, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers to discuss matters regarding standardization. Oui, Si, Yes, Ja and Hai At the end of 1905, Colonel Crompton announced to the Institution of Electrical Engineers Council that he had sent out preliminary enquiries regarding the Commission and had received favourable responses from the electrical societies of nine countries. These were the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, France’s Société Internationale des Electriciens, Italy’s Associazione Elettrotecnica Italiana, the Canadian Electrical Association, Germany’s Verband Deutscher Elektrotechniker and Austro-Hungary’s Elektrotechnischer Verein. The electrical societies of Denmark, Sweden and Norway also expressed their interest in the proposals. The Commission came together in June 1906 under the chairmanship of Alexander Siemens, president of the Executive Committee. At the first meeting on Monday June 26, the Commission was constituted by adopting a set of rules for its modus operandi and the first incumbents were appointed to the fledgling IEC Council. Kelvin for President Because of his major role in bringing the Commission to fruition, Colonel Crompton was an obvious choice for one of the roles and he was duly appointed as the IEC’s first Honorary Secretary. The role of first IEC President was bestowed upon Lord Kelvin. Kelvin’s best-remembered legacy is his work on thermodynamics and in particular for the concept of absolute zero, the temperature at which all molecular motion ceases. However, he had a prodigious output as a scientist and electrical engineer. Although Kelvin and Crompton were the first public faces of the IEC, the contribution of Professor Elihu Thomson should not be forgotten. The American influence Professor Thomson was born in 1853 in Manchester, England but his family moved to Philadelphia when he was five. Initially his interests were in the field of chemistry and indeed his professorship was in this area. But by 1880, Thomson had become totally absorbed into the rapidly developing field of electrical engineering. He was granted a multitude of patents, including the electric welding machine, and the firm he founded with E J Houston merged later with Edison’s firm to create the General Electric Company. Speaking about those early years of international co-operation to Colonel Crompton a few years after the IEC’s inauguration, Professor Thomson said: “No work of such huge importance to the electrical industry has exceeded that of the work commenced during the last few years in the international exchange of electrical ideas. It is a very difficult thing to carry on these matters internationally; there are many jealousies to be overcome, many susceptibilities to be met; and it is something to be proud of that no quarrels and no troubles have yet arisen.” That same spirit of cooperation persists today as the IEC celebrates its hundred years of existence. Australian involvement Australia joined the still-young IEC in 1925, with first the Commonwealth Engineering Standards Association, and then the Standards Association of Australia (now Standards Australia) providing the national committee for IEC. The work of many earlier Australian contributors to IEC is now confined to the archives, but their legacy is a suite of internationally based electrical standards embodying the best of current thinking and international agreement. More recently, Standards Australia has hosted the IEC General Meeting in 1979 and 1993, and provided an IEC President (1990-1993), Mr Richard Brett AM. Currently one of IEC’s Vice Presidents is Australian, Mr Don Gray and Ms Else Shepherd AM has been nominated to the IEC Council Board. This document last updated: 2004-09-29 Home \| Publications \| Compliance \| Training \| Assurance \| Our Company © 2006 SAI GLOBAL LIMITED ABN 67 050 611 642