Today in History – October 4, 1913 – Steel Treaters’ Club is founded. Before the steel industry was fully developed, steel treating was a trade controlled and carefully guarded by individual blacksmiths.  When a blacksmith named William Woodside began working in the automotive industry, he recognized the need to exchange information within his profession.   Through a meeting with 18 colleagues in the steel and automotive industries, he began the Steel Treaters’ Club. During World War I, it changed its name to the Steel Treating Research Society and in 1920 to the American Society for Steel Treating (ASST). ASST expands to include the complete range of manufacturing processes for all metals and in 1933 its name was changed to the one used today – the American Society for Metals (ASM).

The organization’s publications, Metals Progress Magazine and the Metals Handbook, became the preeminent technical publications in the field of metallurgy.

Over the next 50 years the society continued to expand in membership and technical expertise, eventually moving beyond metals to include things such as composites, ceramics, polymers and materials for the growing electronics industry. To reflect this expanding scope and vision, the society changes its name to ASM International in 1986.

Headquartered in Materials Park, OH, ASM International’s commitment to the materials community includes technical publications such as the Materials Handbook (now in its 20^th edition), short courses, technical seminars and workshops, educational outreach and scholarship opportunities.

For more information, see the Engineering Pathway’s related resources on ASM and its affiliate societies. Or visit the Materials Engineering Education community site.