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name National Environmental Health Association which was made effective January 1, 1970. Soon after the name change, Association leaders recognized that even though the name embraced all of environmental health, the bylaws restricted active member ship to only those individuals who had bachelor's degrees. Even people who were registered sanitarians in states where the registration act did not require a bachelor's degree were relegated to an "Associate" non-voting status. To expand the opportunities for active membership to everyone who was employed full time in environmental health work, a bylaws change had to be made. This was approved by the Board of Directors in 1973 and placed on the 1974 mail ballot by which it was adopted. The door was again opened to all who work in environmental health or teach, as it was when the association began. The progressively restrictive requirements which had been imposed earlier had been designed to improve the professional posture but had at the same time precluded many worthy members from active status. During the 20 years 1957-1977, development of a college curriculum specifically for environmental health rather than public health was in the forefront of Association activity. Entire conferences were developed to discuss and formulate the requirements for environmental health education. Not only were programs developed, but the National Accreditation Council for Environmental Health Curricula was spawned to set standards by which to measure the new educational programs. An Internship Council was estab lished to ensure that graduates were schooled in field practice; the Residency Council was established to provide for specialization in hospital and management positions. Students, as the future of environmental health, enjoyed a commanding position, par ticularly during the 1970's when enrollments were burgeoning and the Student National Environmental Health Association boasted a total of 1,000 members on 50 campuses. Not only in the years between 1957 and 1977, but since the beginning of the National Association and to the present, the annual meeting (Annual Educational Conference) has been one of the most important functions of the organization. Not only is the annual conference one of the focal points of the office staff and Executive Director, but it is the one place where individuals devolve into an Association. They come to the annual conference not only for education but for the ail important feeling of being a profes sional and belonging to their professional organization. This is the avenue of access to others who share their responsibilities, concerns and problems, and to noted experts in special technology. The educational sessions can bring a professional up to date in a scientific or political subject, but the hallway sessions are inherently valuable in learning from peers how to solve an on-the-job problem, and social activities the catalyst to lasting friendships. Annual meetings are a sort of bringing it all together, and they have been reported in the association's publications from the beginning as one of the most important aspects of membership. Each one appears to have had some unique aspect - an entertainment feature, a famous speaker, a theme, or a concurrence with another event. Even a food borne outbreak can be the point of remembering! Each is said to have been the best ever. The 1939 meeting was held in Oakland, California at the time of the San Fran cisco World's Fair. In 1957 the International Federation of Sanitarians Organizations was formed with Canadians journeying to Seattle for the event. In 1957, the week of the conference was declared National Sanitation Week by United States President, Dwight D. Eisenhower as it was the following year. The first Awards Luncheon was held in 1961.
Astronauts Alan Sheppard and Edward Gibson appeared as speakers in 1973 and
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