On 31st March 2006, the IET was formed from the merger of the Institution of Electrical Engineers and the Institution of Incorporated Engineers.   Its history goes back however to the 19th Century. 

 

IIE: The IIE can trace its roots back to 1884 when it was ‘The Vulcanic Society’ – at the time of the steam age.

 

 This society became the Junior Institution of Engineers in 1902, which became the Institution of General Technician Engineers in 1970.  It, The Institution of Electrical and Electronic Technician Engineers, the Society of Electronic and Radio Technicians, and the Institute of Practitioners in Radio and Electronics merged in 1990 to form the Institution of Electronics and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE).

 

The modern IIE was formed in April 1998 by the merger of The Institution of Electronic and Electrical Incorporated Engineers (IEEIE), The Institution of Mechanical Incorporated Engineers (IMechIE), and The Institute of Engineers and Technicians (IET). In 1999 there was a further merger with The Institution of Incorporated Executive Engineers (IIExE).

 

In October 200, IIE received a Royal Charter in recognition of the significant contribution of its members to the UK economy and society.

 

It was the only institution in Europe dedicated to serving the professional interests of Incorporated Engineres and Engineering Technicians in electronic, electrical and mechanical engineering.

 

IEE: The IEE was formed on the 17th of May 1871 as the Society of Telegraph Engineers to represent those engineers working predominantly on the electric telegraphy applied to railways.  The Institution of Civil Engineers (founded 1818) and The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (founded 1847) did not adequately meet the needs of Telegraph Engineers. In 1880, the STE became The Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians and in 1887 it altered its name to the Institution of Electrical Engineers to reflect its prpresentation of the body of electrical engineers.

 

The earliest statement of the Society's 'Objects' pronounces that its purpose was for the general advancement of Electrical and Telegraphic Science and for facilitating the exchange of information and ideas among its Members. Qualifications for admission reflected the Society's dual nature as a professional association and a learned society. The professional engineer's route to membership required him to have been educated as a Telegraph Engineer and to have been employed in positions of responsibility for at least five years. An Associate had to be over the age of twenty-one. There were no qualifying examinations until 1913; emphasis was placed instead on experience and positions of responsibility.

 

In the early days the focus of the Society was on telegraphy alone. However, it was decided that it would need to broaden its scope to include electrical science as this was a concern of every Telegraph Engineer and was not already represented in a separate learned society. The STE grew from strength to strength mainly because engineers required a Society of their own to reflect and represent their needs in a world where new uses for electricity were being rapidly developed.

 

 At the General Meeting of the STE on 22 December 1880 it was decided to alter the title to reflect the changes in electrical technology of the day and was renamed The Society of Telegraph Engineers and of Electricians. At a meeting of the Council on 10 November 1887 a motion was put forward to alter the name to the Institution of Electrical Engineers to reflect its representation of the body of electrical engineers in England. On 1 January 1889 the Register of Joint Stock Companies issued a Certificate of Incorporation to the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE).

The Charter, granted in August 1921, defined the 'objects and purposes' of the IEE in traditional terms: 'to promote the general advancement of Electrical Science and Engineering and their applications and to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on those subjects among Members...' Importantly, Clause 14 established the Members' exclusive right to put appropriate initials after their name, especially MIEE and AMIEE, to indicate their professional qualifications. In 1924 the IEE obtained from the Privy Council the right for corporate members to describe themselves as Chartered Electrical Engineers. The grant of the charter, fifty years after the foundation of the Society of Telegraph Engineers, confirmed its position as an organisation representing a learned profession and extending its influence in the direction of members' education, qualifications and public standing. The IEE was granted a coat of arms in 1948. It was registered as a charity in 1963. 

 

The Institution is prolific in its publishing dating back to its early days as the STE. In 1882 the first edition of the Wiring Regulations: Rules and Regulations for the Prevention of Fire Risks arising from Electric Lighting was published. After the First World War, the crisis in technical education in Britain led to the Institution accrediting technical courses at colleges and universities. By 1930, Graduate Members were required to have a recognised qualification or to have passed the IEE examination. This led to the Institution accrediting a wide range of degree courses.