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History Of

Municipal Electrical Inspectors Association

of

Massachusetts and Rhode Island

On December 28,1887, Mr. Henry B. Peirce filed with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts a certificate of Incorporation for the Insurance Library Association. This certificate No. 3058 was the beginning of the now Municipal Electrical Inspectors Association of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

The first meeting were lectures restricted to members of the New England Insurance Exchange and these lectures were on Electricity, Automatic Sprinklers, Mill Construction and Insurance Laws.

The first book published sold for seventy-five (.75) cents each was "The Elementary Principles of Electricity as applied to Electric Light and Power," by Professor W.L. Jenks of Edison Electric Company. Applied electricity was directly a problem for the Fire Insurance field men of the late 80's. The lecture was a marked success.

The fifth lecture was given by Ralph Sweetland, Electrical Engineer of the New England Insurance Exchange.

The first set of rules was created by the New York Board of Fire Underwriters, Mr. Christopher Marsh Goddard was the first Electrical Inspector of the New England Insurance Exchange and for upwards of thirty-five (35) years its secretary.

On October 10, 1888, a certificate number 8 was issured to Fred A. Pecheny qualifying him to install and operate incandescent apparatus, also, in 1888 the Board of Examiners consisted of P.H. Alexander, President, B. Cram Secretary, W. Shell, A.R. Bush, J.R. Lovejoy were on the Board. William Brophy was the Inspector for the New England Insurance Exchange. The following books were published:

On August 15, 1889, Modern Electricity by Thomas Kirwan. In 1895 Special Agents Electrical Handbook by M. Schoen of New York.

In 1896 "The National Electrical Code-Analysis and Explanation" by Charles A. Hewett.

On August 18, 1892 rules for safe wiring by the Fire Underwriters Association of New York was published.

On July 1, 1894, Installation of Wiring of Apparatus for Electric Light and Power. This book consisted of twenty-six (26) pages and forty-four (44) rules.

In 1897 the first issue of the National Electrical Code 72 was published. It had fifty-six (56) pages and seventy-two (72) rules, also, in 1890 Christopher Goddard was succeeded by Ralph Sweetland . This started the open meetings, at which time proposed changes in the code were considered and freely discussed. This procedure was considered as a wider understanding of the rules.

The April 29, 1907 lecture was on the effort of Electrical Development on the Fire Hazard by Franklin H. Wentworth of the National Fire Prevention Association.

In 1925 the President was W.H. Greenlow and William Smith was Secretary. The name was changed to "Massachusetts Association of Municipal Electrical Inspection". 

On October 13, 1926, a brochure was published, the First Fifty Years, by Theo H. Day and was delivered before the Eastern Association of Electrical Inspectors at the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York. The brochure was printed by the Trumbell Electric Mfg. Co., Plainville, Connecticut.

In 1929 to 1930 its President was Leo B. Ledgstone and W. Lincoln Smith was Secretary.

In 1930 to 1931 Leo Ledgstone was President and W. Lincoln Smith was Secretary.

In 1931 to 1932 Carl Smith was President and W. Lincoln Smith was Secretary.

In 1932 to 1933 Carl Smith was President and W. Lincoln Smith was Secretary.

On November 7, 1934 the name of the Association changed again to the now "The Municipal Electrical Inspectors Association of Massachusetts and Rhode Island".

At this time this is all the information we have, if you have some information pass it along to our Secretary.


** Note: The information here has been provide by past members of the Association. 

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