Chapter 1 50 YEARS
As the National Environmental Health Association celebrates 50 Years of Profes sional Development, it is appropriate to take a look back at how professionalism in environmental health evolved, who the players were, and how they brought us to where we are today. In researching the records, interviewing some of the people who were key players throughout the years, and conjuring up in our own minds what took place, the writers have come to the realization that initiative, hard work, and a dogged deter mination to render the Sanitarian a professional were characteristics of the personalities that have brought us through the first fifty years. It is evident that those same characteristics will be needed to continue the upward movement of professionals in environmental health and to achieve the recognition by the public and elected officials that this professional group so richly deserves.
ROOTS
The roots - the very beginnings - of what is now the National Environmental Health Association are anchored in the first California Association of Sanitarians which was formed in 1930. As early as the year 1925, there was talk of forming an association, but, according to a History of the National Association of Sanitarians by Floyd Jimison (The Sanitarian, September/October 1946), this is how it all began: At a meeting of the California League of Municipalities' Health Officers Section, Harold A. Young, Director of the Bureau of Sanitation, Los Angeles County Health Department and Franklin D. Sweger, Director of the Bureau of Housing and Sanitation, Los Angeles City Health Department began talking about whether the sanitation inspectors should have a place in the League or an association of their own. Discussions that followed with sanitary inspectors in their respective departments, and in joint meetings of the two departments, led to the drafting of a constitution and bylaws and a meeting on March 1, 1930 in Patriotic Hall in Los Angeles. All inspec tors of the 10 cities and eight counties of Southern California (south of San Luis Obispo) and seven or eight of the state inspectors of the various branches were invited to the meeting. More than 150 attended. A vote of the people at that meeting created the organization known as the California Association of Sanitarians. Harold Young sug gested the name ''Sanitarians'' to get away from the tile of inspector. Sometime later, Ben Freedman, M.D. explained that this was not a new word, but it was the first time it was used in public health. At the first meeting, J.H. McDermott of the Los Angeles County Health Department was elected president, but after three meetings, it was discovered that the election and appointment of committees had not been done in accordance with the constitution and bylaws, so another election was held and Harold Young elected president. Late in 1930, the association began discussing the question of presenting to the state legislature bills for establishing the educational standards and certificates of registra tion for Sanitation Officers in public health departments. In 1931, two Senate Bills were introduced and passed in the senate but killed in the Assembly. In reporting the activity, Walter Mangold wrote in the first issue of the old California Sanitarian (June 12, 1931): "The World Watches Us" "After retreating from Sacramento in good order with our colors still flying, it was like food to the hungry to receive a few words of encouragement from two of the country's foremost leaders in public health. Your editor (Mangold) had the good
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