Section History
Initial Construction and Startup
Prior to 1983 chemical engineers in Delaware joined the Delaware Valley Section (DVS), which was composed of three areas (sub-sections): Philadelphia, Delaware County, and Wilmington. The management structure was cumbersome at best, and much effort was spent trying to communicate among and to coordinate the groups. Monthly meetings were spread around the entire Delaware Valley, and it was hard for an individual member to attend many of the events. A great amount of effort by hard-working volunteers brought only modest benefit to the membership.
In 1983/84, Wilmington Area Chairman John A. Wilkens and Secretary James R. Lawson concluded that the frustrations of the DVS structure could be reduced by splitting off a Section centered on Wilmington, Delaware. This area was home to over 1,000 of the 2,300 AIChE members who lived in the Delaware Valley Section's area and had a larger percentage paying section dues than did the other two areas. Thus it had the resources needed to sustain an independent Section.
Suggestions to the DVS Board that Wilmington might become independent were strongly opposed, but the Board agreed that for the next year Wilmington could operate autonomously to test the viability of both itself and the remaining areas of the DVS. During the 1984/85 year, Wilkens became the Chair of the Independence Committee and with Wilmington Chairman Kenneth W. Leffew and Vice Chairman James R. Lawson, designed and implemented strategies to facilitate construction of a new Section.
Dale S. Schultz published an Area newsletter, the Area held regular meetings around Wilmington, and the leaders initiated other activities such as training courses. With much success and polls showing more than 80 percent support among the Wilmington members, plus a successful year for the remaining two areas of the DVS, opposition to independence dissipated.
James R. Lawson presented the formal request for independence to the AIChE National Council at the 1985 Summer Meeting in Seattle WA, where it was approved. AIChE Executive Director Charles Forman presented the Wilmington Section with its official Charter at its meeting in September, 1985.
Steady State Operation
During its first fifteen years the Wilmington Area Section had a regular schedule of activities. Success stemed from the dedicated service of many volunteers who contributed their time and effort to help develop the professional potential of chemical engineers in the Wilmington area. These volunteers were led by many Section Chairs:
Decrease in Demand and Scarcity of Supplies Lead to Shutdown
As computers and software became more powerful the use of Email expanded and began to replace postal mail as the dominant mode of "written" communication. In the early years the Section Newsletter was printed and mailed to members, but by 2000 it was available in both print and PDF format. See, for example, the Newsletter for November, 2002.
Starting about 2000 there were many changes in the structure and staffing practices of the local chemical industry, government, and academia. There were also many changes in the structure of the typical family, the pattern of formal and on-the-job education, and the consulting network. The availability and speed of home InterNet connections and computers increased, and the average daily time devoted to Email, Web surfing, and work-at-home increased as well. Attendance at Section events declined, volunteers for office became scarce, and for 2004 to 2006 the primary activity of the Section was presenting awards to outstanding students at the University of Delaware.
Market Exploration Stimulates a Restart
In late 2006 Sujata Bhatia volunteered to explore a fresh start for the section, and in 2007 February 40 participants attended the first meeting in several years. Section Chairs following re-start:
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