THE OBLIGATION:

In a 2011 State of the College Address at Cleveland State University’s Fenn College of Engineering, Dean Bahman Gorashi cited John Adams’ observation about the two sides of a well-rounded education. “Both natural sciences and technical knowledge, as required in our contemporary times, and humanities and arts, as required at all times” must be part of “a complete and balanced education,” Ghorashi said. His remarks could be applied to more than students. Engineering educators and practicing engineers also must balance technical expertise with an understanding of the role they play in society, and striking that balance — or building what engineer Richard Seely has called a “bridge between technology and the humanities” — lies at the heart of what the Order of the Engineer is all about. This history of the OOE traces its development from the earliest recorded imaginings of such an organization to its present form. For those unfamiliar with the OOE, a few basic facts should be laid out right away. The OOE describes itself as “the roster of engineers in the United States who have participated in an Engineer’s Ring Ceremony and who have publicly accepted the ‘Obligation of an Engineer.’” The Obligation, which has been compared to the Hippocratic Oath taken by physicians, is a written document that defines engineering as a public service and calls for a sense of camaraderie within the community of professional engineers. New members are added to the roster after they have participated in a formal ceremony at which they are presented with stainless steel rings. The ring is worn on the smallest finger of each member’s working hand. The ceremonies are open to the public, and the rings serve as a public sign that the wearers have accepted the Obligation. There are no membership dues and no meetings of the general membership. The OOE is not a social club like the Rotary Club or Lions Club. It is not a professional guild or trade association, either, though it does seek to improve the engineering profession through personal commitments to excellence and ethical practice. Nevertheless, it does not regulate or license the profession as guilds and trade associations sometimes do. It only operates in the United States, though it is happy to lend a helping hand to organizers of similar associations in other countries. The OOE has been a part of the American engineering profession since 1970 and today adds more than 10,000 new members annually. Approximately 400,000 engineers have been added to the rolls since the organization’s inception. It is guided by a Board of Governors, which now meets annually in Phoenix, Arizona, home to OOE headquarters. At the local level, the organization is comprised of 327 chapters, called “links,” which have their own Boards of Governors and administer the ring ceremonies on behalf of the national organization. Typically, links are affiliated with engineering schools, and a long-term goal of the OOE is to establish a link at each school or college of engineering in the United States. Engineering societies and organizations also establish OOE links. As will be shown in the following pages, many aspects of the Obligation, the ring ceremonies, and the OOE’s governing structure resemble those of the older Corporation of the Seven Wardens in Canada. The Canadian organization provided the inspiration and some of the ideas that were adapted to the United States by the OOE.