NEXT
MONTH:
TOPIC: Economizer Operation – The Mixing Process
DATE: October
14, 2003
SPEAKER: Keith
Robinson, P.E.
FUTURE PROGRAMS:
November 11, 2003 Risk Management 101
December 9,
2003 Designing to Prevent Mold
January 13,
2004 Commissioning Central Plants
February 10,
2004 Student Night / Career Fair
March 9, 2004 Controls
Integration
April 13, 2004 ASHRAE
90.1 Revisited
May 11, 2004 O.R.
Design Considerations
RESOURCE
PROMOTION:
More details to follow on annual goals and local
ASHRAE golf outing.
HISTORY
HIGHLIGHTS:
A HISTORY OF ASHRAE - THE NASHVILLE CHAPTER
By Ed Kennedy 1983
Revised by Chris Williams 2003
In 1959, ASHRAE was formed when the American Society of
Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE), known after 1954 as American Society
of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE) and the American Society of
Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE) merged.
Shortly thereafter in August of the same year, impetus toward formation
of a local chapter came from Frank Vaughn, a representative of Sporlan Valve. He
and James May of American Air Filter, then chairman of Region VII, initiated
discussions with Ed Kennedy of Ed’s Supply and these
led to meetings with among others, I. C. Thomasson
and Don Nichols of I. C. Thomasson &
Associates, Dick Wood of American Air Filter and Faulkner Hickerson
of Burkhalter-Hickerson Architects. From these early contacts, the circle widened
and further discussions culminated in the formation of the Nashville Chapter
of ASHRAE.
The early officers were a who’s
who of the Nashville HVAC community.
They included I. C. Thomasson as the first
president. I. C. Thomasson
and M. T. Gossett, had collaborated on one of the city’s first commercial air conditioning systems at the
B&W cafeteria in 1933. In addition to president, the charter officers were Roy King, Vice President, James Potter, Secretary, Ted
Moats, Treasurer, Bob Bibb, Programs, Don Nichols,
Membership, Ed Kennedy, Director, and Faulkner Hickerson,
Director. There were 38 charter members.
The original name of the chapter was just
"Nashville”. However, it soon
became apparent that "Middle Tennessee" would be more appropriate
since the membership rolls included many from outside the city. Later, the Nashville Chapter sponsored and
initiated the Knoxville Chapter and the Chattanooga Chapter. After the founding
of these chapters, the Middle Tennessee Chapter once again became just the
"Nashville" Chapter.
The chapter held its first few meetings at a
restaurant in the Westgate Shopping Center on Highway 100, but soon M. T. Gossett offered the use of
“Gossett's Barn” as a meeting place. The
barn, located behind the Gossett residence on Abbott Martin Road was a popular gathering place for catered parties in those
times and the Gossetts were generous in their grant
of its use to various groups. In
appreciation, the chapter installed a heating and air conditioning system in
the barn. In later years, ASHRAE met at
the B & W Cafeteria in Green Hills, the Ramada Inn on James Robertson Boulevard, the Ramada Inn at Spence Lane, and briefly at the Music City Sheraton.
In 2001, the Nashville ASHRAE Chapter joined with the
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Society of American Military
Engineers (SAME), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Council of
Engineering Companies of Tennessee (ACEC), and the Tennessee Society of
Professional Engineers (TSPE) to create the $1,850,000 Tennessee Engineering Center. This addition to
what was then called the Cumberland Science Museum, and is now called the Adventure Science Center, created a permanent home for all six contributing
societies.
On the national level Nashville has been the host of many meetings and conferences. Nashville hosted the Chapters Regional Conference (CRC), at the Andrew Jackson Hotel in 1968, at the Maxwell House Hotel in 1983, and, at the
Renaissance Hotel in 1999. The Nashville
Chapter hosted the National Annual Meeting for the first time, in 1987, and
again in 2004. Both times, the Annual
Meeting met for five days at the Gaylord Opryland
Hotel.
Since the
chartering of the Nashville Chapter, its members have loyally supported the
chapter with their time and resources.
Members have worked on research, resource promotion, technical
committees, and leadership roles. The
members have created a forum for discussion, where members could become
acquainted with the work of colleagues, and where the sharing of information
and fellowship has served the industry well.
