ASNE is the leading professional engineering society for engineers, scientists and allied professionals who conceive, design, develop, test, construct, outfit, operate and maintain complex naval and maritime ships, submarines and aircraft and their associated systems and subsystems. ASNE also serves the educators who train the professionals, researchers who develop related technology, and students who are preparing for the profession. Society activities provide support for the U.S. Navy; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Marine Corps; U.S. Merchant Marine and U.S. Army.
ASNE is the seventh oldest technical society in the United States. It was founded in 1888 by a group of naval engineering pioneers, most of them officers of the U.S. Navy's Engineering Corps, who sought a unified approach to their profession in order to make the most of new advances in technology. The purposes of ASNE are:
- to advance the knowledge and practice of naval engineering in public and private applications and operations,
- to enhance the professionalism and well-being of members, and
- to promote naval engineering as a career field.
For nearly 135 years, the Society’s objectives have been strengthened and preserved to meet the changing needs of a time-honored profession. Today ASNE conducts a variety of technical meetings and symposia, publishes the highly regarded Naval Engineers Journal and a number of other technical proceedings and publications, and fosters professional development and technical information exchange through technical committees, local section activities and cooperative efforts with government organizations and other professional societies.
Our website is designed to not only serve our members, but also to support scholars, students and others interested in the varied field of naval engineering. We welcome your suggestions on ways we can improve your experience.
Our Logo
The ASNE logo was first approved by the Council in January 1897 and it was based on the uniform insignia worn at the time by officers of the U.S. Navy Engineering Corps – the community that had founded the Society in 1888. At that time the Engineering Corps was a staff corps and the stripes worn on the sleeves of their blue service dress uniforms were gold stripes with red cloth between the stripes, and the staff insignia that they wore was four oak leaves arranged in a cross. Subsequently in 1899 the Engineering Corps was discontinued and those officers were made Line Officers, restricted to Engineering Duty Only, in order to better integrate their rank structure with officers of the Unrestricted Line. Thus their uniform insignia became the same as the Unrestricted Line – gold stripes on the blue uniform background with gold star insignia. However, ASNE retained the original design for the logo in recognition of our heritage.
ASNE History
Adapted and updated from ASNE: The First 100 Years by CDR Bruce I. Meader, USN (Ret.)
"The American Society of Naval Engineers was born on September 30, 1888. A group of engineer officers gathered in the Bureau of Steam Engineering to discuss the possibility of publishing a journal for the dissemination of information on naval engineering....'The purpose of the meeting was to organize, with the object of printing the results of experiments, records of trial trips, breakdowns, etc., of ships of the Navy, and also for the purpose of reading papers and discussing debatable subjects in naval engineering.'" — CDR Bruce I. Meader, USN (Ret.),
ASNE: The First 100 Years
Naval Engineers Journal first issue published. To this day, the Journal continues to be one of our most treasured member benefits, with the full archives, back to 1889, available to members for free online.
The ASNE logo was first approved by the Council. The logo was based on the uniform insignia worn at the time by officers of the U.S. Navy Engineering Corps – the community that had founded the Society in 1888. At that time the Engineering Corps was a staff corps and the stripes worn on the sleeves of their blue service dress uniforms were gold stripes with red cloth between the stripes, and the staff insignia that they wore was four oak leaves arranged in a cross. Subsequently in 1899 the Engineering Corps was discontinued and those officers were made Line Officers, restricted to Engineering Duty Only, in order to better integrate their rank structure with officers of the Unrestricted Line. Thus their uniform insignia became the same as the Unrestricted Line – gold stripes on the blue uniform background with gold star insignia. However, ASNE retained the original design for the logo in recognition of our heritage.
The first civilians were appointed to ASNE's governing Council.
The first Coast Guard officer to be elected President of ASNE is Rear Admiral Harvey F. Johnson.
The first ASNE awards are established, fittingly to honor the most promising young engineers from the graduating classes at the U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
The first ASNE Gold Medal Award for outstanding contributions in naval engineering is presented to Mr. Valor C. Smith for his work in ship antenna design.
The first ASNE charter is granted to the Flagship Section.
The Solberg Award is established in honor of Rear Admiral T.A. Solberg, the first Chief of Naval Research and ASNE President in 1949. The inaugural recipient is CAPT Paul M. Wolff, USN.
The "Jimmie" Hamilton Award is established in honor of Captain James Hamilton, the long-time Secretary-Treasurer of ASNE. The inaugural recipient is B.W. Lankford, Jr. for "The Structural Design of the ASR Catamaran Cross-Structure."
The San Diego Section is chartered.
The Delaware Valley and Tidewater Sections are chartered.
Mr. Robert Taggert is the first civilian career professional elected President of the Society.
The Combat Systems Committee is established with Captain Alfred Skolnick, USN as its first chairman. CAPT Skolnick would go on to be President of the Society from 1985-1989.
ASNE Council commissions study on feasibility of ASNE Educational Benefits program
The Harold E. Saunders Award for lifetime achievement in Naval Engineering is established. The first recipient is Mr. Almon Johnson.
Scholarship Program established with $20K bond
The first ASNE Scholarships are awarded.
The Frank G. Law award is established to honor contributions to the Society. The first recipient is Captain Frank G. Law, USN (Ret.)
First “named scholarships” established (Convy and Glatz), and four Sections donate Symposia proceeds to establish regional scholarships.
The first Section of the Year Award is presented to the Delaware Valley Section.
Applications limited to final two years of undergraduate work; Peterson Builders Scholarship established.
Representatives from local sections (Tidewater and Mechanicsburg) added to committee.
Ms. Susan Lee Bales is the first woman elected Vice President of the Society.
Skolnick Family/BETA Scholarship established to encourage female applicants.
The inaugural Claud A. Jones Fleet Engineer Award is presented to CDR Carl N. Strawbridge, USN.
The Society celebrates its Centennial with ASNE Day 1988.
Tidewater (Pitt) and McVoy scholarships established.
BMT (D&P) Scholarship established.
Undergraduate further limited to final year; Erdner bequest received; Section Scholarship guidelines drafted.
Council approves Section-sponsored scholarship guidelines; Northern New England Section scholarship established.
Mechanicsburg establishes second “named” scholarship.
Ms. Sarah "Sally" Skolnick is the first female Executive Director of the Society.
San Diego Section scholarship established.
Kentuckiana and Delaware Valley Sections establish scholarships, BMT revives its scholarship in honor of John J. Nachtsheim.
Convy Fund provides additional $1000 for graduate scholars.
Undergraduate award value raised to $2500, combined student membership with SNAME.
Ms. Sarah "Sally" Skolnick is the first female Executive Director of the Society.
The first recipients of the Rosenblatt Young Naval Engineer award are named: Mr. Jason A. Reynolds and Dr. Jennifer Kehl Waters.
The inaugural Frank C. Jones Award for Major Maintenance and Alteration is presented to CAPT Leroy A. Brown, USN (Ret.).
Awards raised to $3,000 Undergraduate and $4,000 Graduate.
Ms. Kathleen Hinton is the first woman elected President of ASNE.
The inaugural Clifford G. Geiger award for Naval Logistics is presented to Mr. Craig F. Brandenburg.
ASNE's inaugural Global Shipbuilding Executive Summit (GSES) was held February, 2010 and co-hosted with Siemens PLM Software to share naval shipbuilding best practices and to explore solutions to major industry challenges among government and industry officials including international allies
ASNE furthers its international presence by co-sponsoring the inaugural Indian Shipbuilding Executive Summit, held in New Delhi, India. This event was co-hosted with Siemens PLM Software and officials from the Indian Maritime Foundation and the American Bureau of Shipbuilding.
First doctoral degree candidates approved; BMT renews 5-year commitment to John Nachtsheim Scholarship.
ASNE celebrates its 125th birthday with a special edition of Naval Engineers Journal featuring letters from The Honorable Sean Stackley, VADM William Hilarides, RADM Bryant Fuller, RADM Ronald Rábago, and CAPT Glenn Ashe.
John Malone retires after 30+ years on ASNE's Scholarship Committee committee.