We invite you to explore the last 100 years with us.
The National Association of Educational Procurement has a storied past. From its conception in 1921 the association and the procurement industry have changed and adapted throughout the decades. This compilation of NAEP History is just a brief look
into the conditions of each decade and is by no means a complete history.
If you would like to have a more indepth look into NAEP History and our members, please check out The NAEP Chronicle where a record of the people and happenings that have shaped the National Association of Educational Procurement and its relationships
with the E&I Cooperative and other organizations. Download History
If you have a memory or a historical tidbit, we would love your contribution to our continued compilation of the past century and into the next.
NAEP - The 1920's
1920s FUN FACTS
The mouse that started an empire. Steamboat Willie premiered in 1928.
One of the most popular toys of the decade, the yo-yo is still around today.
Jazz hits like “Ain’t Misbehavin’” by Louis Armstrong and “Creole Love Call” by Duke Ellington ushered in the “Big Band Era”.
NAEP: HOW IT ALL BEGAN... THE YEAR WAS 1921.
Colleges and Universities faced hard times. The loss of so many brave young men during WWI and the Influenza Pandemic resulted in declined enrollment across the nation. Women migrated into the halls of higher education in record numbers championing equality and the right to the vote. The passage of the Volstead Act enforcing the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of alcohol. The changing American landscape created a host of new challenges for higher education.
During the Annual Convention of the National Purchasing Agents Association (MPA), a small group of forward-thinking buyers met at the Severin Hotel in Indianapolis, IN. One particular interest to the group was the Volstead Act would affect the ability to procure spirits for campus. The discussion hinged on how they could pool their resources and buying power to keep maintain stock. Other commodities discussed were tires and general maintenance supplies. This led to the formation of the Educational Buyers Association and the spirit of collaboration, innovation, and best practices remains part of our mission today. This small band of procurement professionals unknowingly changed the landscape of procurement and would one day become the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP).
By the time the new organization again met (probably during the 1922 Annual Convention of
the National Purchasing Agents Association held in Rochester NY on May 16th and 17th), the list of commodities they hoped to purchase using "co-operative arrangements" had grown to include gauze, lamps, tires, alcohol and sheets, towels and pillow
cases.
At a December 8th and 9th 1922 meeting in Ithaca, NY, the founders, with the blessing of the Association of University & College Business Officers of the Eastern States, decided to publish a Bulletin to facilitate the sharing
of information. The first issue was dated January 1, 1923.
The "Eastern Association" later became a region of NACUBO when that organization later established a national office in Washington DC. Ironically, NAEB played a leading role
in the establishment of a NACUBO National Office decades later.
Apparently, the pool buying of alcohol amounted to some significance as by the end of 1923, the Board Member handling the orders on a volunteer basis announced that the
work had become a "real burden" and "pointed out the need for financial help." The arrangement was cancelled despite the benefits Members recognized.
NAEP Presidents of the 1920's
1921J.C. Christensen, University of Michigan
1926L. F. Seaton, University of Nebraska
1922Boulton Earnshaw, University of Pennsylvania
1927George S. Frank, Cornell University
1923John C. Dinsmore, University of Chicago
1928Henry B. Abbett, University of Colorado
1924F. X. Riger, University of Wisconsin
1929Theodore M. Johnson, New York University
1925R. M. Royer, Ohio State University
By 1925, Cornell's George Frank had raised the possibility of forming a more permanent
organization. Records of the May 20, 1926 meeting in Columbus, OH refers to the Educational Buyers Association as having been "formed five years ago in Indianapolis". At that 1926 meeting, the group adopted a resolution defining the purpose of the
organization as "the study and comparison of supplies generally purchased by Educational Institutions" and set Membership dues at "$25.00 per year for all institutions except those having less than a thousand students regularly attending in which
case it shall be $10.00 per year." Forty Members, mostly in the northeast and Midwest, were listed as dues-paying Members.
Although Cornell's George Frank probably cannot be credited with founding NAEB, he was clearly one of the short
list of key players involved in its early development and served as President in 1927. The records available seem to indicate that Frank had a clear vision of what the Association could be and worked effectively to "sell" his vision to others and
to grow the organization. George Frank later was the Founder of the Educational and Institutional Cooperative Service (E&I ), higher education's not-for-profit purchasing cooperative.
By the time its first decade ended, the basic
structure of the organization was in place, a fairly clear vision of what the Association could be had emerged, a constitution had been adopted, and the formation of regional groups, one of the key elements of the Association had been envisioned.
1920’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
The Volstead Act which enforced the prohibition of the manufacturer and sale of spirits became effective in January 1920. On January 16, 1920 at 12:00 AM, every tavern, bar, and saloon in America closed.
The League of Nations is formed, following the first World War, to provide a forum for resolving international disputes.
October 25, 1929, also known as “Black Tuesday”, signaled the beginning of the Great Depression.
1920S NOTABLE QUOTES
"By early 1920, the tide on campus had turned to favor suffrage. “A great awakening is taking place,” wrote the Wellesley News in February 1920, “suffragists and old-time antis and women hitherto indifferent to the whole question are today earnest students of government and practical politics in their determination to be ready for the new responsibility of voting.” (Kelly, Wellesley Magazine, Summer 2020).
NAEP - The 1930's
1930s FUN FACTS
The Boulder Dam (today known as "Hoover Dam") is completed 2 years ahead of schedule on March 1, 1936.
in 1932, Amelia Earhart becomes the first female aviator to successfully fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She unfortunately disappears over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to circumnavigate the globe, July 2, 1937.
Jesse Owens wins four gold medals during the 1936 Summer Olympics.
NAEP: 1930's
In this decade, the Association began providing much more formal reports and financial statements to its Members. Josephine Banks was employed as a full time professional secretary (no doubt working within the EBA office at N. Y.U.) and, in 1932, a dues increase for the 242 Members was hotly debated. The article of the Association's constitution stating the name and defining the purpose of the Association was amended. EBA Executive Secretary Robert B. Jenkins' report to the Members at the 1939 Annual Meeting held at Duke University is an absolute classic. In effect it was his valedictory address as he retired the next year.
From the start, there was discussion concerning the appropriate geographic size of "sections" or "chapters' or "regions" and that debate continues. Initially, the trend was toward smaller groups. Some argued that small groups would allow/encourage Members to meet more frequently. In fact, it was one such small group in central New York State that, in effect, tested the approach to cooperative purchasing proposed by George Frank that became the E&I Cooperative. More recently, there have been mergers creating fewer larger groups. The same issues that drove the debate sixty years ago are still with us today.
NAEP Presidents of the 1930's
1930 | Howard F. Herzog, Northwestern University
1935 | H. M. Edwards, University of Illinois
1931 | William G. Morse, Harvard University
1936 | F. Morris Cochran, Albion College
1932 | William G. Morse, Harvard University
1937 | George R. Kavanaugh, Berea College
1933 | Lee H. Morris, Southwestern Missouri State
1938 | John F. Millizen, University of Illinois Medical School
1934 | Foster J. Cole, Miami University
1939 | O. G. Sawyer, Duke University
In 1934, the E&I Cooperative service was organized by a small group led by Cornell's George Frank who was an EBA Past President and one of the most influential and able leaders within the Association. The cooperative purchasing scheme proposed by Frank and others was tested within a small group of central New York EBA Members including Cornell, Colgate and Syracuse Universities in 1934 and then offered to all EBA Members in 1935. A close working relationship between the Association and the Co-op was established when the two organizations decided to share office space in 1937 and the recently hired Manager of E&I was named Assistant Secretary for the Association. Although there had been some debate within the Association over the usefulness of EBA managed pool buying, and some saw it as a distraction, they clearly embraced the benefits of cooperative purchasing when conducted by a separate but allied organization.
The first record of a "Code of Ethics Advocated by The Educational Buyers Association" was found in a proposed document date stamped March 5, 1937. The format and individual articles are remarkably similar to the current version despite many amendments over the years.
By 1936, the regional meetings were well established with more than 15 meetings held nationally. EBA had 256 members and estimated the potential to be 1,500 members.
Earlier correspondence disclosed a spirited debate over the propriety of sharing information related to price and conditions among purchasing officers. Apparently this had been a hot button issue. Some felt this was confidential information between buyer and seller. Others pointed out that state law required them to disclose this information and some thought secrecy benefited only the seller. In any case, there is no mention of this issue in the draft code of 1937 and the general support of cooperative buying suggests that the issue had been settled on the side of transparency and disclosure.
Toward the end of the decade, retrenchment is the order of the day on campus as the effects of the 1929 stock market crash and worldwide depression takes hold. However, higher education seemed to have been somewhat insulated from the worst of the economic collapse, as there is little mention in the records available of the dire conditions that gripped much of the nation.
1930’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
The Great Depression begins. By 1930, 1,350 banks fail in the US. Over 25% of the work force is unemployed by 1932. The Worldwide economic decline reaches its worst point in 1933.
The United States Social Security Act is signed into law in 1935.
In 1939, Germany attacks Poland officially starting World War II.
1930's NOTABLE QUOTES
“There were occasional dances at the main prison compound with live bands as well as holiday dinners, activities that Blanche greatly enjoyed. In her scrapbooks, she placed an autographed promotional photograph of one visiting band, The Rural Ramblers. ...
Blanche loved to dance and by all accounts she was very good at it. She applied to a correspondence course in dancing that came complete with diagrams of select dance steps to place on the floor and practice. She also cut similar dance instructions and diagrams from newspapers and magazines and put them in her scrapbooks. By 1937, she had mastered popular dances like jitterbug, rumba, samba, and tango.
The men’s prison, or “the big prison” as the women called it, hosted movies on Friday nights. Features like Roll Along Cowboy ... were standard, usually accompanied by some short musical feature such as Who’s Who and a newsreel. The admission was five cents. Blanche attended many of these movies. She loved movies all of her life. Blanche Barrow’s periodic visits to the main prison allowed her to fraternize with males. She apparently had a brief encounter with “the boy in the warden’s office” in the fall of 1934. There are few details, but their relationship was evidently ended abruptly by prison officials in December.
― John Neal Phillips, My Life with Bonnie and Clyde
NAEP - The 1940's
1940's FUN FACTS
After nearly 15 years of work, the carving of Mount Rushmore concludes in late 1941.
Goodnight Moon—one of the most famous children’s books of all time and still widely read to little ones at bedtime today—was published in 1947.
The longest-running show in television history, which is still on today—Meet the Press—debuted on November 6, 1947.
WORLD WAR II CHANGES EVERYTHING, NAEP IN THE 1940's
Just as deciding what EBA/NAEB would be had dominated the '20s, and founding the Co-op and the Great Depression the '30s, World War II dominated the affairs of the Association in the 1940s. In 1942 William S. Price, the Co-op's Manager and Assistant Secretary of EBA went off to serve his country in the U.S. Army, George Frank relocated to Washington, D.C. to work with the War Production Board and Bert C. Ahrens, who had succeeded Robert Jenkins as Executive Secretary of the Association when Jenkins retired, also became Manager of the E&I Cooperative service "for the duration".
During the war, a key concern among campus purchasing professionals was the shortage of the supplies needed to keep higher education in business and a shortage of workers as well. The file contains letters from Ahrens to E&I Suppliers, including Steelcase, Inc., asking about the current and likely future availability of merchandise. In most cases, the answer was that nothing much would be shipped for civilian usage until government restrictions were lifted. However, some institutions had become government training centers and experienced rapid growth. Others were involved in government sponsored research.
All through the war, Price kept in touch with the National Office and various Board Members remarkably well using hand-written letters from all over the U.S. and at least a few from Europe. By 1945, Price was an Army Captain in charge of the rail, barge and truck freight traffic through an unnamed hub in Belgium and thinking about getting home to rejoin the Co-op and start a family. In a letter dated "28 Feb 45" he congratulated Bert Ahrens and his wife, Margaret, on the birth of their twin sons.
Interestingly, the letters written by several people throughout the war were unfailingly optimistic. There was always the assumption that the U.S. and its allies would win the war and things at home would get back to normal once the then current "unpleasantries" were over. This contrasts with a lack of optimism during the prewar depression decade.
As the war drew to an end, Bert Ahrens became one of the key players in what was to become the Federal Surplus Property Program. Basically, Ahrens formed an alliance with the American Council on Education (ACE) and represented higher education in his dealings with the Surplus Property Board in D.C. With ACE, EBA initiated a newsletter to inform institutions of surplus property opportunities likely to be available after the war. Clearly, Ahrens representing higher education was a key contributor.
By 1947 the war was over, NAEB had a new name, Major Price was home and the GI Bill had brought a time of near explosive growth and change to higher education. Both NAEB and the Co-op experienced rapid growth and found it necessary to relocate to more appropriate quarters. The file contains a classic letter from James J. Ritterskamp describing the run down building currently occupied and strongly suggesting a move.
Some time prior to 1948, the Co-op established "Group Representatives" to provide input to the Board and staff. The file contains a very well written memo from William S. Price to these groups providing a brief history of the Co-op and its association with NAEB. Obviously he felt it was important for Members to understand the unique relationship between the two organizations. That need continues.
NAEP Presidents of the 1940's
1940 Charles E. Merry, George Washington University
1945 Francis G. Martineau, Brown University
1941 D.L. Rhind, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1946 James J. Ritterskamp, Jr., Washington University
1942 Claude L. Hough, Jr. The Principia
1947 Gerald D. Henderson, Vanderbilt University
1943 E.E. Thompson, Syracuse University
1948 Charles Hoff, University of Omaha
1944 George H. Mew, Emory University
1949 Holger B. Bentsen, George Williams College
1940 - Robert Jenkins retired as Executive Secretary of the EBA, and on March 1, 1940, Bert C. Ahrens succeeded him. The first Iowa/Nebraska Regional Group Meeting was held at Iowa State University in Ames Iowa on November 2, 1940 with George E. Potts, Purchasing Agent, Iowa State, presiding. A revised constitution and bylaws were approved by the membership.
1941 - The board increased the annual salary of Bert C. Ahrens to $2,500.00 annually and, to permit Ahrens to travel more extensively, the Board increased his annual travel budget to $450.00. EBA listed 21 active regional groups that had held or scheduled meetings during the year.
1942 - George S. Frank left Cornell for the duration to serve with the War Production Board in Washington, D.C. However, he continued to be actively engaged with both Cornell and EBA. Bert Ahrens, Executive Secretary of EBA, became General Manager of the Co-op as well for the duration when William S. Price went off to war in the army. EBA publications were used to explain wartime priority and other requirements to members and to share lessons learned. EBA was a major link between government and higher education’s purchasing professionals. Shortages were a fact of life.
1943 - Many EBA member institutions were involved in training for military service and regulations and reimbursement issues are frequent topics of discussion. EBA allocated $2,500.00 to purchase War Bonds to demonstrate its support for the war effort. Very optimistic post war planning involving the role of higher education was already underway.
1944 - At the May 3 – 5, 1944 EBA Annual Meeting, held in conjunction with the Southern Association of College and University Business Officer in Atlanta, topics of discussion included current shortages and what to do with surplus once the war had ended.
1945 - Hand written letter dated February 28, 1945 from Army Quartermaster Corps Captain William S. Price stationed Belgium, to Bert C. Ahrens.
Belgium, 28 Feb 45
Dear Bert,
I have been meaning to write for these many days but I’m really tangled in one whole lot of a job here and I’ve really been on the ball ever since I talked it. I’m coordinating all the in and out rail, barge, and truck shipments and also the intra-depot trucks. Since we are scattered all over the surrounding countryside, it’s really something! Very fortunately I have all but one of my (undecipherable) working for me plus several other NCOs and one other Captain. Oh yes, several civilians, too. Strictly a BTO (Big Time Operation)! However, I am very pleased with it since it does keep me busy as the dickens and I don’t have too much time to get homesick. I really have no right to complain because, comparatively, I am living the life of Riley. We have taken over a hotel for our officer quarters, have good chow prepared by a Belgian chef (in my opinion they are better than the French) and I sleep in an honest to goodness bed. Oh yes – I have tepid and cold running water in my room. Up ahead the doughfoots are living in foxholes, etc., so really we are lucky. Not that I needed to be convinced before, but I think a lot of people are now confirmed believers in a large military force – the best defense is plenty of offensive power – for whether we’re just service or the guys who really do the fighting of the war, none of us wants another if it is within our power to prevent. Just the other day I got the post card from Bill’s Gay Nineties – thank all the office gang for remembering me. I got a grand kick out of it. Surely brought back fond memories of past Xmas parties! Got a letter from Joe Ernst the other day – he is a full Colonel now and he rather thinks he might get a chance to get back to the States soon. As the letter was dated 1 Dec, he may have been back already. He didn’t say when he was promoted but it must have been in November. Also got you Xmas card – say, Margaret and you must be proud as the dickens (to indulge in an understatement) of your boys. Golly – they are growing!! The picture is as cute as the dickens. As I’ve said several times before – I envy you both. Hope I can get back soon and get a family started myself. Just so you won’t forget what the old boy looks like, I’ve enclosed a photo – taken in a gadget like our photomaton. Drop me a line when you have time. Tell the gang at the office and various EBA-ers that I say Hello and hope I can get back soon. My best regards to Margaret and I sure hope things are going well for all of you, that you have no sickness and plenty of happiness.
I’ll see you soon,
Bill
1946 - Major William S. Price is discharged from the Army and returns to the E&I Co-op.
1947 - The Educational Buyers Association (EBA) becomes the National Association of Educational Buyers (NAEB).
1948 - Excerpted from an October 1, 1948 letter to Co-op “Group Representatives” from General Manager William S. Price.
Shortly after the organization of the Educational Buyers Association pool buying, on a direct basis, took its place with the Bulletin, national convention, and group meetings as a major activity of the Association. Special, attractive discounts beyond the usual educational discounts were thus made available to Association members. . . on July 18, 1934, George Frank of Cornell, E.E. Thompson of Syracuse, and Charles N. Wilmot of Colgate signed, acknowledged, and filed the certificate of incorporation. Thus the Educational and Institutional Cooperative Service, Inc., came into being. The first President was George S. Frank with E.E. Thompson serving as Secretary-Treasurer. The first Board of Directors was made up of George S. Frank, E.E. Thompson, W.W. Irwin (University of Rochester), Charles H. Wilmot of Colgate, and Peter Cole of Hobart College.
1949 - Board minutes. Mr. Anthony moved that Howard University be declared eligible for membership in NAEB on the same conditions as any other applicant. Mr. Henderson seconded the motion, and it was unanimously passed.
1940’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
Japan attacks Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This action propelled the US into WWII. Three days later, Germany and Italy declared war against the United States, and the U.S. government responded in kind.
The Germans surrender on May 7th 1945. The German Instrument of Surrender was the legal instrument that established the armistice ending WWII in Europe.
August 6, 1945 the US drops the first atomic bomb. During the final stages of World War II in 1945, the United States conducted two atomic bombings against Japan in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
1940's Inventions
1941 - The Jeep was invented
1942 - M&Ms were created
1944 - The ballpoint pen goes on sale
1945 - The first computer was built
1945 - Slinky's hit the shelves
1945 - The microwave was invented
1946 - Bikinis were introduced
1947 - Poloroid Camera was created
NAEP - The 1950's
1950's FUN FACTS
In 1953, The description of a double helix DNA molecule is published by Francis Crick and James D. Watson. They, along with Maurice Wilkins, were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1962.
July 17, 1955 - Disneyland, the brainchild of Walt Disney, opens in Anaheim, California, with the backing of the new television network, ABC.
January 3, 1959 - Alaska is admitted to the United States as the 49th state to be followed on August 21 by Hawaii.
MID-CENTURY MATURATION, NAEP IN THE 1950's
Maturation may be the single best word describing the history of NAEB and other organizations serving the business side of higher education at mid-century. Clearly, NAEB was a key player in the evolution of the National Federation of College and University Business Officer Associations, the organization that became NACUBO, the National Association of College and University Business Officers. For example, many of the organization's early leaders had substantial previous experience within NAEB and the records show that the Association provided some of the early funding. Bert Ahrens, Henry Doten, D. R. Kimrey and other NAEB Members served on the initial Board of Directors of the "Federation."
NAEP Presidents of the 1950's
1950 Rev. J. Leo Sullivan, College of the Holy Cross
1955 D. R. Kimrey, University of Oklahoma
1951 Jamie R. Anthony, Georgia Institute of Technology
1956 Melvin T. Tracht, Illinois Institute of Technology
1952 K. A. Jacobson, California Institute of Technology
1957 Jack S. Reaves, University of Florida
1953 Forrest L. Abbott, Barnard College, Columbia University
1958 George W. Warren, Jr., Baltimore Department of Education
1954 Henry L. Doten, University of Maine
1959 Carl A. Donaldson, University of Nebraska
E&I COOPERATIVE GROWS RAPIDLY
At the same time, the E&I Cooperative was growing rapidly and becoming a substantial organization. In 1951 the Co-op posted a banner year. Sales to Members were up 34%, and expenses were under budget. E&I was involved in a serious and frustrating, but ultimately unsuccessful, effort to be classified as a nonprofit organization by the IRS. To avoid the need to pay corporate income taxes on that portion of revenue retained after expenses and used to operate the business, they adopted certificates of indebtedness that, in effect, identified the dollars involved as the property of Members who were tax-exempt organizations.
There were substantial changes within higher education as well. Comments recorded in the proceedings of the NAEB Annual Meetings of the decade suggest that institutions were beginning to see students as customers. Purchasing professionals were becoming more involved in a variety of business activities in addition to buying. Acquisition of surplus federal property and disposition of surplus institutional property were issues that were discussed.
Correspondence suggests that the Association's Board of Directors appreciated the quality of service that Executive Secretary, Bert C. Ahrens, provided. They voted to increase his salary soon after they learned that Bert had been contacted about possible employment with The Fund for the Advancement of Education, a New York-based philanthropic organization. Bert stayed with NAEB. Speaking of salaries, the results of a government-conducted salary survey were reported at the 1958 NAEB Annual Meeting.
During the decade of the 50's, the Association increased Membership every year and its income grew tenfold. Bert Ahrens recognized that individual involvement was the key to both Member retention and recruitment.
In a footnote to history, the files contain a press release mentioning John A. Pond's service as wartime Procurement Officer of the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago. That top-secret program produced the first nuclear bomb. Pond later served as President of NAEB in 1968.
1950’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
December 1, 1955 - Rosa Parks, an African American seamstress, refuses to give up her seat on the bus to a white man, prompting a boycott that would lead to the declaration that bus segregation laws were unconstitutional by a federal court.
October 1, 1958 - NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, begins operations as a civilian agency of the federal government dedicated to space science, replacing the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
The Red Scare—reached a fever pitch between 1950 and 1954, when Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin, launched a series of highly publicized probes into alleged Communist penetration of the State Department, the White House, the Treasury, and even the US Army.
1950's INVENTIONS
1950 -The first credit card, Diners
1951 -Super Glue
1952 - Mr. Potato Head was patented
1954 - "The Pill" oral contraceptive was invented
1954 - Ray Kroc started McDonalds Restaurants
1958 - The Hula Hoop
1959 - The internal pacemaker
1959 -The Barbie Doll
NAEP - The 1960's
1960's FUN FACTS
July 4, 1960 - The fifty star flag of the United States is debuted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, reflecting the admission of Hawaii into the union in 1959.
January 13, 1964 - Beatlemania hits the shores of the United States with the release of I Want to Hold Your Hand, which becomes the Liverpool group's first North American hit. One week later, their first U.S. album Meet the Beatles is released.
January 15, 1967 - The first Super Bowl is held in Los Angeles between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs with Green Bay winning 35-10. Over fifty one million people watch on television.
NAEP IN THE 1960's: A DECADE OF TRANSITION
If a one word summary of NAEB in the 1960's were required, the word would have to be "transition". William S. Price, who had been the first employee and was the well-established General Manager of the E&I Cooperative, died in December 1968 and was succeeded by F. Gerard Perrine. The long and successful career of Bert C. Ahrens as Executive Secretary of NAEB was drawing to a close as the decade wound down and the Board was discussing his succession. The Co-op was growing rapidly and Marvin R. Sheere, who would later succeed Jerry Perrine, and Neil D. Markee, who would succeed Bert Ahrens, were both working with Members representing the Co-op.
As the decade opened, the role of women in society was changing and men were struggling to become comfortable with a new reality and the vocabulary that went with it. The role of purchasing on campus was changing as well. Although some still saw purchasing as a gatekeeper protecting the institution's resources from threats, both external and internal, Dartmouth's John Rhilinger was already talking about how to effectively sell purchasing on campus. The Civil Rights Movement was gaining momentum in the U.S., and minority-purchasing professionals were beginning to gain prominence outside the historically black segment of higher education. The role of NAEB within higher education was changing as well and becoming more specialized as NACUBO gained strength as the professional association serving Chief Business Officers. NAEB had been a key player in the organization of NACUBO.
NAEP Presidents of the 1960's
1960 Bruce J. Partridge, University of Delaware
1965 A. Paul Nestor, University of Kentucky
1961 Elmer Jagow, Knox College
1966 G. Edward Nealand, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1962 William L. Christensen, University of Utah
1967 William T. Haywood, Mercer University
1963 George W. Schwab, Louisiana State University
1968 John A. Pond, William Jewell College
1964 Henry K. Nelson, Columbia University
1969 Robert L. Tollerton, Rochester Institute of Technology
In the early 60's, workshop topics frequently included discussion of handling the choking blizzard of business process paper that had accompanied the rapid growth of higher education. Instant Money Check With Order Systems were pioneered on campus by Hank Nelson, the Purchasing Agent at Columbia University. Dick Mooney had an easy-to-use "Short Form Order" at Cal Tech that covered a majority of the orders placed on his campus. At Cornell, Wally Rogers had a streamlined stores system that was state of the art. But by 1967 the University of Iowa's Ainsley G. Burks had what may have been the first rudimentary computerized system working and the seeds of revolution had been planted.
In 1960, the Association published a hard covered text expertly crafted by James J. Ritterskamp, Forrest L. Abbot and Bert C. Ahrens that quickly became the standard text defining purchasing in support of higher education. Before the end of the decade, computerization and other changes had produced an ever-increasing rate of change within the profession and had made it all but impossible for a hard covered publication to stay current.
As the decade closed, the Association's budget exceeded $100,000.00.
1960’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
November 22, 1963 - In Dallas, Texas, during a motorcade through downtown, President John F. Kennedy is mortally wounded by assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson is sworn into office later that day.
August 28, 1963 - The Civil Rights march on Washington, D.C. for Jobs and Freedom culminates with Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Over 200,000 people participated in the march for equal rights.
July 1, 1966 - Medicare, the government medical program for citizens over the age of 65, begins.
1960's INVENTIONS
1960 - The Halogen Lamp
1962 - Audio Cassette
1963 - The Touch Tone Phone
1965 - Contact Lens
1965 - Compact Disk (CD)
1966 - AstroTurf
1968 - The Computer Mouse
1969 - The Smoke Alarm
1969 - The ARPAnet (First Internet)
NAEP - The 1970's
1970's FUN FACTS
January 2, 1971 - A ban on the television advertisement of cigarettes goes into affect in the United States.
January 6, 1975 - The television show Wheel of Fortune premiers.
May 25, 1977 - The movie Star Wars opens and becomes the highest grossing film at the time.
NAEP IN THE 1970's:
In the 21st century, historians have increasingly portrayed the 1970s as a "pivot of change" in history, focusing especially on the economic upheavals that followed the end of the postwar economic boom. The social progressive values that began in the 1960s, such as increasing political awareness and economic liberty of women, continued to grow in the 70's. The Environmental movement blossomed as energy crisises hit in 1973 and 1979. The economic growth rate slowed in the US, the average annual inflation rate from 1900 to 1970 was approximately 2.5%. From 1970 to 1979, however, the average rate was 7.06%, and topped out at 13.29% in December 1979. This period is also known for "stagflation", a phenomenon in which inflation and unemployment steadily increased. It led to double-digit interest rates that rose to unprecedented levels (above 12% per year). The importance of procurement professionals at NAEP became more apparent as shortages and inflation rates plagued the nation.
Science and technology advancements in the 1970's were significant. The birth of modern computing introduced many inventions that we still use in our everyday lives. While it would take some time for these technologies to be fully adopted, they would grow to be one of the largest areas of procurement in the coming decades.
A big shot in the arm for NAEB was that in 1976 the National Association of Procurement Management, Inc. authorized purchasing agents in higher education to become “Certified Purchasing Managers, C.P.M.”
It took reams of documentation and years of experience to get certified [C.P.M], but I was happy to be one of the first in October 1976. ~ Jake Bishop, C.P.M.
NAEP Presidents of the 1970's
1970 Eugene O. Ingram, University of Michigan
1975 E. Don Harmer, University of California - Santa Barbara
1971 Lester E. Elliott, University of Illinois
1976 Wallace B. Rogers, Cornell University
1972 C.R. Peterson, Brigham Young University
1977 George W. Morrell, Arizona State University
1973 Earl F. Newland, Baylor University
1978 Jack Rutledge, Florida Junior College - Jacksonville
1974 Gerald F. Evans, Ohio University
1979 Dennis H. Mongoven, Wayne State University
RETROSPECTIONS FROM NAEP(B) MEMBERS
In those days all systems were manual in purchasing and accounting departments. Typewriters were manual and it took a while before IBM Model C's were bought. Calculators were Marchants with a big crank on the side of the full keyboard. Requisitions, bids, purchase orders were on paper. In New England, many of the first computers were Wang or Digital Equipment. Of course, NAEB programming reflected this. Later on the Procurement Card was a huge breakthrough. ~ Jake Bishop, C.P.M. New England Region
Around 1971, Burt Ahrens tapped me to the NAEB Board taking that for the Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in 1972. I was unable to attend that meeting as my wife was receiving and honor in Cleveland, OH. I was informed on my return from Cleveland that "In absentia" I had been named Chairman of the 1973 NAEB Annual Mtg. As a matter of fact, Neil Markee and I were Responsible for the NAEB PROGRAM for 1973 to 1976 in Boston. ~ Gerald F. Evans
1970’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
May 4, 1970 - Four students from Kent State University in Ohio were killed and nine wounded by National Guardsmen during a protest against the Vietnam War spread into Cambodia.
January 22, 1973 - The United States Supreme Court rules in Roe vs. Wade that a woman can not be prevented by a state in having an abortion during the first six months of pregnancy.
August 9, 1974 - President Richard M. Nixon resigns the office of the presidency, avoiding the impeachment process and admitting his role in the Watergate affair. He was replaced by Vice President Gerald R. Ford, who, on September 8, 1974, pardoned Nixon for his role. Nixon was the first president to ever resign from office.
1970's INVENTIONS
1971 -The Floppy Disk
1973 - Mobile Phone
1973 - The BIC Lighter
1974 - Post IT Notes
1976 - The Apple Computer
1976 - Ink Jet Printer
1978 - Email
1979 -The Sony Walkman
“NAEP acknowledges the changing political and social landscapes of our first 100 years. The views expressed in this document reflect the political and social conditions present at the time of their creation. The author’s opinions are not necessarily those of NAEP and are provided for historic reference only. NAEP remains committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all of our members as it is only through understanding our past that we can transform our future.”
NAEP - The 1980's
1980's FUN FACTS
July 1981 - The Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place. The wedding, held at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, attracted crowds of more than 600,000 people to witness the historic event. 3,500 guests, many of them royalty or celebrities, attended the ceremony and an estimated 750 million people, worldwide, watched it on television.
April of 1985, Coca-Cola introduced “New Coke” in what many observers declared to be the worst marketing blunder in history. Within three months Coca-Cola announced it would return to the old formula and tried to re-brand the drink as Coca-Cola “Classic” and New Coke quickly disappeared.
September 1986 - The Oprah Winfrey Show debuts nationally. The show had been a success with the local Chicago audience and rising host Oprah Winfrey soon signed a syndication deal. Her show soon became the highest-rated talk show in the U.S. and aired for 25 seasons, winning over 45 Daytime Emmy Awards.
NAEP IN THE 1980's: A DECADE OF GROWTH
The 1980's were a decade of growth for NAEB(P). With changing social focus and more interest in factors other than price, the procurement industry was changing.
In 1980, the first Bert C. Ahrens Award was presented to NAEB Past President, James J. Ritterskamp, Jr., Vice President for Business Affairs, Vassar College.
The following is excerpted from Annual Meeting comments by NAEB Executive Vice President, Neil D. Markee:
Doing more with less is going to be a familiar theme on campus in coming years. Those exotic chemicals, radioactive drums, and contaminated biological specimens all over campus are yours and you are going to have to find a way to get rid of them. At one time the federal government was one of the strongest supporters of open bidding and frequently require detailed explanations if federal dollars went to other than the low bidder. Washing has decided that dollars spent in support of federal contracts should be used to encourage growth of minority business enterprises. One of the concerns on many campuses is how to draft a plan in compliance with Public Law 95*507. Last fall one of our regulars told me that he was going to retire early to get out of the rat race. He said that once it had been enough to get the best value for the dollars spent to be considered a valuable member of the team. Now, he said, almost daily someone charges him with being a polluter, racist, sexist, or insensitive to the needs of the less fortunate. He was clearly having trouble coping with the demands that have become part of the job, and had decided to reduce the stress in his life by getting out.
This excerpt shows the industry changes and what some may consider challenges that faces procurement professionals during the decade. The days where price was king were quickly being replaced by a push to be more socially conscious and inclusive.
NAEP Presidents of the 1980's
1980 Richard L. Mooney, University of California – Los Angeles
1985 Earl K. Whitman, University of Oklahoma
1981 Robert E. Durland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1986 Dolly Prenzel, University of Virginia
1982 Gale C. Hankins, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Dentistry
1987 Wesley E. Donaldson, Texas A & M University
1983 Gale C. Hankins, University of Missouri, Kansas City School of Dentistry
1988 Ronald C. Jones, University of Maryland
1984 Richard L. Crowley, Pennsylvania State University
1989 Harris Jorgensen, North Dakota State University
In 1983, the Board asked Gale Hankins to serve a second term as Association President when President Elect, Bill Haas, left Duke University to enter private industry.
In 1986 Dolly Prenzel became NAEB’s first female President, on the occasion of her first address to the members assembled at the Annual Meeting.
I began my career at the age of 20 as a junior buyer at Vanderbilt University. I first bought magazine subscriptions, and, after a time, graduated to laboratory animals. After I had been at Vanderbilt a year, in 1968, my boss, Bruce Hawley, asked me to attend a NAEB Regional Meeting at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I went with Bruce, and that experience opened up a whole new world for me. My clearest memory is of Gene Ingram, who was representing the Board, making a presentation on campus security. (Remember, it was the 60’s.) I now realize I’ve been trying to emulate Gene ever since. So it’s particularly appropriate that Gene should receive the Bert C. Ahrens Award today. Another memory of that meeting is of Bert Ahrens and my boss singing together into the hours of the night. I left Knoxville the next day sleepy but very impressed with the Association and the relationship between its members and appreciative of the opportunity to participate.
On the advice of auditors and a lawyer, NAEB incorporated in New York State on April 22, 1988. Previously the Association was an unincorporated informal Indiana organization.
1980’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
May 18, 1980 - Mt. St. Helens Erupts - Earthquakes throughout the month increased the volcanic activity, and near the end of the month, the volcano had its first eruption in over one hundred years as a series of steam explosions blew a crater into the summit, releasing ash.
April 1986 - A nuclear power station in Chernobyl, Ukraine (which was still a part of the Soviet Union) exploded causing a huge nuclear disaster. Due to the explosion, large amounts of radiation and radioactive material was released into the local environment, effecting the health and safety of thousands of people including plant workers, clean-up workers, and the local population.
January 1986 - The Space Shuttle Challenger is destroyed shortly after it launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida and its mission was to bring seven astronauts into space including a teacher who had been specially chosen and trained to join the mission. Tragically, all of the astronauts on board where killed in the explosion.
1980's INVENTIONS
1981 - Control-Alt-Delete
1983 - Camcorder
1984 - DNA Fingerprinting
1986 - Gestational Surrogacy
1987 - Disposable Camera
1988 - Rolling Luggage
1988 - The Nicotine Patch
1989 - Zip File Format
1989 - Nintendo Gameboy
NAEP - The 1990's
1990's FUN FACTS
Aug 11, 1992 - The Mall of America Opens. With a gross area of 4.8 million square feet, the mall fits seven Yankee Stadiums inside it. The center of the mall features an indoor theme park called Nickelodeon Universe. It has roller coasters, a carousel, and numerous other rides and attractions.
1997 - The first Harry Potter book is published by author J.K. Rowling. The series of seven books become a world wide phenomenon, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide, making them the best-selling book series in history.
February 22, 1997 - Scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland announced that they had cloned an adult sheep. The first successfully cloned adult mammal, Dolly, was cloned using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) from the cell of a 6-year-old ewe.
NAEP IN THE 1990's: A DECADE OF GROWTH
The 1990's was a decade of truncated reorganization for NAEB(P). The poor national economy was cited as the reason for belt tightening at NAEB despite approved dues increases. Unfortunately, this decade brought the loss of some of NAEB's greatest leaders including James J. Ritterskamp, Robert E. Durland, E. Don Harner, Henry K. Nelson, Ethelbert (Bert) Cooper Ahrens, and F. Gerard Perrine.
Comments by Bob Russell, University of Michigan, and an Annual Meeting workshop:
. . . At the University of Michigan, we have been in the microcomputer sales business for about five years. For the past four years, we have had an annual truckload sale, which is the largest single private sale of computers in the country. In fact, at our sale last October, we had the largest single shipment of Apple computers to one location. At the sale last fall, we delivered 2,275 units in 18 hours or about 2.2 systems every minute. We received eighteen 50-foot trailers.
NAEP Presidents of the 1990's
1990 Ronald J. Santi, Iowa State University
1995 Ted Brown C.P.M., Auburn University
1991 Frank Lopez, Fairleigh Dickinson University
1996 Joan M. Gossman, C.P.M., Wayne State University
1992 Joseph T. Bond, Memphis State University
1997 Marian Brown, C.P.M., Ithaca College
1993 C. Soledad Harmon, University of Oklahoma
1998 Ralph P. Altvater, C.P.M., A.P.P., Father Flanagan’s Boys Home
1994 Nancy Tregoe, Lafayette College
1999 Gary D. Link, C.P.M., University of Kentucky
Ethelbert Cooper Ahrens (1907 – 1997) died on May 9, 1997. Bert, as he was known to everyone, served as the Association’s Executive Secretary from 1940 until he retired in 1972. Early in his career, Bert led the Association through the challenging years of World War II and played a key role in shaping many of the major federal programs that affected higher education during that time and have since. He was instrumental in the founding of NACUBO. In recognition of his service, the Association’s highest form of recognition is the Bert C. Ahrens Award.
The NAEB Email Committee was established in 1992. The Email Network involving NAEB members had been established by Bob Goldstein, Rochester Institute of Technology, and had begun to function. In just two years The NAEB Email network involved 300 members. Some participants say it is the Association’s most valuable service.
In 1999, A new Vision Statement was adopted. NAEB will be recognized as "The Association dedicated to the advancement of excellence in the purchasing profession serving higher education and related communities".
1990’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
1992 - Los Angeles riots result in over 60 deaths and $1 billion in damage, spurred by the acquittal of four Los Angeles Police Department officers accused in the videotaped beating of black motorist Rodney King.
1995 - Oklahoma City bombing kills 168 and wounds 800. The bombing is the worst domestic terrorist incident in U.S. history, and the investigation results in the arrests of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.
1995 - Retired professional football player O. J. Simpson is acquitted of two charges of first-degree murder in the 1994 slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman. The nine-month trial receives worldwide publicity.
1990's INVENTIONS
1990 - Adobe Photoshop
1991 - The WWW
1992 - Text Messages
1993 - Bagless Vacuum
1994 - Sony Playstation
1995 - DVDs
1996 - Tickle Me Elmo
1998 - Google
NAEP - The 2000's
2000's FUN FACTS
2001 - Moulin Rouge! premiered at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and was released in theaters on 18 May 2001. The film was praised for Luhrmann's direction, the performances, its soundtrack, costume design, and production values. At the 74th Academy Awards, the film received eight nominations, including Best Picture, and won two (Best Production Design and Best Costume Design).
2005 - The longest-running version of the series The Office, ran for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013 for a total of 201 episodes. The total overall viewership is in the hundreds of millions worldwide. As of April 2019, the US version of The Office was the No. 1 streamed show on Netflix in the United States.
Throughout the 2000's reality TV became very popular. In the golden years between 2000 and 2010, we were bombarded with MTV's Room Raiders, Next, MTV Cribs and Date My Mom, playing on repeat. There are some that were genuinely good and impossible to forget (we're looking at you Jersey Shore, The Hills, and Catfish). These shows paved the way for a new genre of television.
NAEP IN THE 2000's: A DECADE OF EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
After more than twenty years with the Association, first as the principal assistant to Neil D. Markee and then as NAEB CEO, Joan Fox Peppe resigned.
Jake Bishop was appointed interim director of NAEB to serve until a full time Executive Director has been hired. Commuting weekly from his home in Massachusetts, Jake held the position for nearly seven months.
NAEB Past President Lester Elliott died on December 21, 2001. The University of Illinois-Champaign pioneered the use of computers within the business side of the house on campus, and Les was a pioneer in the use of computers in purchasing. He was an effective salesman of computerized purchasing within higher education.
In 2001, a merger of NAEB and the E&I Cooperative was considered. A determination was made not to proceed.
Doreen Murner was hired as the new Executive Director of NAEB
An NAEB Scholarship Program was named for visionary founder, William Haas. Hereafter, the fund will be known as the NAEB William E. Haas Scholarship Fund.
The Annual NAEB golf classic held in support of the Association’s scholarship funds was named in honor of Past President, Gerald Evans. Gerry is a recipient of the Bert C. Ahrens Award and is one of the very few people who have served as president of both the Association and the E&I Cooperative. Hereafter, the outing will be known as the Gerald F. Evans Golf Classic.
NAEP Presidents of the 2000's
2000 - 2001 - Cathy Hill, Butler County Community College
2005 - 2006 - Michael Helm, Dickinson College
2001 - 2002 - Patricia Moore, University of Alabama in Huntsville
2006 - 2007 - William Hardiman, George Mason University
2002 - 2003 - Richard D. Scharff, C.P.M., San Diego State University
2007 - 2008 - Lorelei Meeker, Indiana University
2003 - 2004 - Ray T. Jensen, C.P.M., Arizona State University
2008 - 2009 - Nancy Brooks, Iowa State University
2004 - 2005 - John S. Klopp, University of Iowa
2009 - 2010 - John Riley, Arizona State University
In 2002, the NAEB BULLETIN goes online.
For the first time in 2003, NAEB conducted a member survey 100% online.
NAEB welcomes purchasing professionals in the K-12 education arena.
The 40,000th C.P.M. award was made.
The Cooperative Purchasing Standing Committee was created within NAEB.
In 2004, The NAEB National Office was moved to Baltimore
In 2005, The National Association of Educational Buyers (NAEB) became the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP). A
new logo for the Association was approved and adopted and the Association’s fiscal year was migrated to coincide with the Calendar Year.
In 2005, The National Association of Educational Buyers (NAEB) became the National Association of Educational Procurement (NAEP).
2000’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
September 11, 2001, People all over the United States remember where they were when news broke that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center in New York City. The morning of September 11, 2001, would end with two hijacked airliners flown into each of the WTC towers, another plane flown into the Pentagon, and a fourth plane crashing into the ground in Pennsylvania after passengers stormed the cockpit. Nearly 3,000 people died in the country's worst terrorist attack, which made al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden household names.
December 26, 2004, one of the worst natural disasters in recorded history hits southeast Asia, when the largest earthquake in 40 years hits the entire Indian Ocean region. The massive 9.3 magnitude earthquake, generates enormous tsunami waves that crash into the coastal areas of a number of nations including Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Indonesia. The official death toll from the tsunami is over 230,000 people dead.
On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the U.S. as a strong Category 3 or low Category 4 storm. It quickly became the biggest natural disaster in U.S. history, almost destroying New Orleans entirely due to severe flooding.
2000's INVENTIONS
2000 - USB Drive
2000 - Bluetooth
2002 - Blu-Ray Disc
2004 - Facebook
2005 - YouTube
2007 - iPhone
2009 - Retinal Implants
NAEP - The 2010's
2010's FUN FACTS
The 2010's brought a new generation of British Royals. Prince William, married Catherine Middleton in 2011, and by decade’s end they had three children, including Prince George, now third in line to the British throne behind his grandfather and father. In 2018, William’s younger brother, Prince Harry, wed the biracial, divorced American actress Meghan Markle in a ceremony watched by some 29.2 million TV viewers. Their son, Archie, was born the following year.
In 2016, the Chicago Cubs ended the longest drought in baseball by defeating the Cleveland Guardians (then known as the Cleveland Indians) 8-7 in the 10th inning of Game 7 to win the World Series. Before this historic victory, the last time the Cubs won a World Series was in 1908, 108 years earlier.
July 2012, “Gangnam Style” became the most-watched video ever. No one — and I mean no one — saw it coming when a video featuring a man doing horse-riding-like dance moves ignited a worldwide dance craze, but that’s exactly what happened in July 2012 when South Korean musician Psy released a new song called "Gangnam Style." The accompanying music video was instantly a major hit, and subsequently became the first video ever to reach a billion views on YouTube.
NAEP IN THE 2010's: A DECADE OF EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
NAEP Presidents of the 2010's
2010 - 2011 - Sandy Hicks, University of Colorado
2015 - 2016 - Lisa Deal, University of Florida
2011 - 2012 - Carol Barnhill, Arkansas State University
2016 - 2017 - Kelly Kozisek, Oregon State University
2012 - 2013 - Bill Harris, University of Kentucky
2017 - 2018 - Rosey Murton, Florida State University
2013 - 2014 - Valerie Rhodes Sorrell, Grand Valley State University
2018 - 2019 - Nichol Luoma, Arizona State University
2014 - 2015 - Cory Harms, Iowa State University
2019 - 2020 - Kevin Holmes, Oklahoma State University -Tulsa
2010’s THIS DECADE IN HISTORY
The 2010 decade saw advances for LGBTQ people around the world, with the legalization of same-sex marriage in 18 countries, including Argentina, France, Great Britain, Australia, Ireland, Germany and the United States. Meanwhile, anti-gay laws passed in Russia and China and there was an ongoing battle in the United States over laws preventing transgender people from using bathrooms matching their gender identity. The Trump administration also reinstated a ban on transgender citizens serving in the U.S. military.
In November 2016, one of the most bitterly divided political contests in the nation’s history ended when Republican candidate Donald Trump, won the election to become the 45th president of the United States. Though his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, former first lady, New York senator and secretary of state and the first female presidential nominee of a major U.S. political party, won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes, Trump captured the electoral vote, 304-227.
Several massive hurricanes and tropical storms hit the United States in the 2010s, Sandy (2012) in the Northeast. The storm killed more than 230 people and caused some $70 billion in damages. In 2017, three major hurricanes (Harvey, Irma and Maria) struck Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, respectively, over five devastating weeks. A year later, Michael became the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the contiguous United States since 1992, causing more than 50 deaths and $25 billion in damages on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
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