Why the SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers) was originally created?

According to Wikipedia the SME was founded in January 1932 in the midst of the Great Depression. It was originally named the Society of Tool Engineers, and then a year later renamed the American Society of Tool Engineers, it was formed by a group of 33 engineers and mechanics at the Detroit College of Applied Science. The group grew at an incredible pass and within just four months had increased membership to over 200 people in chapters that had been created across the country.

The SME has a rich history of helping America’s industries become the primary military supplier of the Allied war effort during the late 30’s and early 40’s. The group created educational materials to meet the needs of the defense program and created the Emergency Defense Training Committee. By 1945 membership had risen to nearly 18,000 members. After the war ended the group helped the country’s manufacturing industry convert from a defense focus to producing more consumer goods. In 1970 there was a final name change giving us the Society of Manufacturing Engineers that we know today, or SME for short. While the SME is heavily involved with many manufacturing trade shows they also award annual scholarships to further the education of students going in to the manufacturing field.