began to hire inspectors to ensure that sanitation ordinances were properly enforced. In England and much later in the United States, these workers organized themselves into bodies (professional societies) that served to give form and vision to a new "profession." With the formation of the Sanitary Inspectors Association in England, the National Association of Sanitarians (NEHA) in the United States, and similar such organizations in other countries, the story of environmental health had finally reached the point of joining form with substance. An organized body of specialized knowledge had developed and was constantly put to use (practiced) by an organized group. The seeds of environ mental health had sprouted to give growth to a new profession. It has been written that to be a profession certain factors must be present. Those factors include, but are not limited to, such things as a set of specialized knowledge, an identifiable group, a means for advancing practitioners of the profession, and an ability to publish findings. To have these factors, a professional society must exist. In the broad and ever-growing field of environmental health, the National Environmental Health Association has, for 50 years, served as the support system for practitioners in this field. What follows is an archival account of the association. The archives project creates a record of the major events that have occurred over the association's history. It offers some insight into what the association has done to support the growth and development of the profession. Having the honor of being the Association's Executive Director at this special time, it is indeed a pleasure to present this document to you. As you study the progress of the association, may you feel the honor of being a member of a profession that has its roots in antiquity and its present expression through your professional society.
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Nelson E. Fabian NEHA Executive Director
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