In less than a decade the Association has grown from nothing to an organization whose membership is approaching 2000. The rapid growth of the organization has inspired and encouraged those of us who have worked to promote it. The first meeting I attended was the one held in Oak Ridge in March of -49. Attendance at that meeting was of the order of 102; attendance expected here is of the order of 103. At that time there was much hope but very little machinery. It is superfluous to mention how vastly different the situation is today. In 1949 our aims were simple and direct. We wanted to hasten the development of automatic computing machinery. So we got together to exchange ideas and information, on components, on design, on plans and expectations, on ways and means. In 1949 there was much discussion of componentry and design, less of techniques and applications. Let me invite you now to look into the future and consider, in the light of past developments and present trends, what shall be our role and how can we best fulfil it? We are a young organization, feeling our way in a rapidly changing environment. That we do fill a need is attested by our rapid growth and by your own presence here today. Our primary purpose is the exchange of information and we accomplish this in various ways. First, there are the annual meetings such as this. Second, consider our publications. A third device for exchanging information is by encouraging the formation of local chapters. In our early days we were, in part, evangelists with a message about computing machinery. Whatever our own contributions may have been, the gospel is certainly widespread at the present time. It seems to me that we must become evangelists once more, but with a somewhat different gospel to preach.
