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In 1952, Davis recommended that for associationpurposes the United States be divided into nine districts or regions to be represented by the then Directors at Large. He further recommended that the term "Directors at Large" be changed to "Regional Vice Presidents." The recommendation was adopted in 1956 and soon after that the 10th District comprised of Hawaii and surrounding off-shore islands was added. Davis represented the Association well and helped bring about mutual understanding among various public health groups including the Municipal Public Health Engineers and the American Public Health Association. Conducting the affairs of the Association was a full time job, in addition to his regular position with the State of California. ''He devoted every moment of his personal time to it,'' according to a report published at the time of his death (March/April 1964 Journal ofEnvironmental Health). Under his leadership, the organization became national in scope, and international relations reached a peak when the International Federation of Sanitarians' Organizations became a reality in 1957 at the time of the NAS Annual Meeting in Seattle. Roscoe Davis was appointed to the International Committee when he stepped down as Executive Secretary in July 1956, in order to follow through on organizational details that were underway. Represen tatives of the Canadian Ministry of Health, World Health Organization and the Surgeon General of the U.S. Public Health Service attended the organizational meeting in Seattle, where the principal luncheon speaker was Dr. Brock Chisholm, former director general of the World Health Organization. .. As more and more states became affiliated and the responsibilities to the members extended nationwide with the need for support in achieving state registration acts, a need became apparent for a full time paid executive secretary. And, to achieve the goals of the association more members were needed. The necessity for educational and pro fessional standards had to be broadcast. Clearly the time had come to move the national office to a more centrally located city and to employ a full time administrator. The move was approved by the Board of Directors at the 20th Annual Meeting held in Chicago, Illinois. During that meeting also, several candidates were interviewed for the position and Nicholas Pohlit, a sanitarian employed by the Tri-County District Health Department, Aurora, Colorado, and president of the Colorado Affiliate was hired to be executive secretary and managing editor of The Sanitarian. Funds were critically short at the time the Denver office was established and Pohlit was not assured his salary would be paid. He took a risk in accepting the position, but with full time effort in promoting the association and its goals, membership began to pick up rapidly. Within a year, more than 350 members had been added to the roster of 2000. According to the 30 Year History, 1937-1967by W.W. Sampson, the changes that became evident in early 1957 seemed to have an exhilarating effect. Plans were made for many activities, and the officers and members became more involved both inside and outside the organization. The flood of ideas and projects encompassed more than the previous decades put together. Sampson said this was natural with new members coming in to provide additional ideas and fresh aid. He said it was also a reflection on the new needs to be met and new problems to be solved. There have been many ideas and plans since then that have fizzled, among the many that have succeeded. Con siderable time and effort have been spent by members on projects that have not come to fruition. Much more time and effort, perhaps, have been spent on successful endeavors that have, indeed, improved the image and status of environmental health professionals, be they called sanitarian, environmental health specialist, or a rose by another name. ..
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