Producing a Vision
The Evolving History of AISES

by George Thomas

The success of an organization that not only survives but flourishes across three decades is a stirring testimony to the validity of its purpose and what can come about when people raise up a compelling vision and then give their best in the service of that vision. Thirty years into the existence of the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) is a fitting point to pause, enjoy and celebrate its milestones, as well as a good time to reflect, evaluate and process the learning that has taken place along the journey.

AISES officially came into being on March 30, 1978, with the filing of the articles of incorporation with the Oklahoma Secretary of State. I was privileged to have been assigned the task of taking care of this item of business, which, in retrospect and given all that had taken place leading up to that moment, should have been accompanied by fireworks and a marching band. But other than the smile on my face, there was no fanfare, nothing in particular to mark the date, just a check next to an item on my to-do list. But with the mundane filing of some papers, a small group of American Indians went on record that they were dedicated to the goal of bringing about positive changes to Native America by addressing a critical educational need. The question 30 years later is, "Did they walk their talk?"

The Formation of FATE
In the early 1970s, I was a graduate student in the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Engineering, where a series of fortuitous events led to my involvement in the efforts that resulted in AISES' formation. As a student, my goals were simple enough: get a degree, get a job, advance in my career field, and win in the game of life. The course I had set was similar in most respects to that of my classmates so I forged ahead unencumbered by any thoughts of a grander vision. It's true that I was not an ideal student, but it never occurred to me that there was anything particularly daunting or unusual about my chosen course of study until I was summoned for a meeting with Dr. Phil Colver, College of Engineering associate dean. During what turned out to be a very pleasant conversation, Dean Colver pointed out that there were only two Indians in the college and he was curious about why the number was so low. I had little to offer because I believed my difficulties were uniquely my own and not connected with being Indian. Besides, I had never noticed a lack of capability or aptitude for any subject matter among the Indians who had been my high school and college classmates. If anything, my struggles were rooted in the fact that in high school and as an undergraduate, I had not adequately prepared for the rigors of an engineering course of study. I believed that whatever the reason for the dearth of American Indian students in the College of Engineering, it was not because they lacked some innate ability but more than likely the fault lay with a general lack of preparation in the public schools, or a general lack of interest in or awareness of engineering as a career option. After a few more visits, Dean Colver asked me to work for the college part-time and help organize and carry out a summer program for American Indian high school students. OU had received funding as part of a national movement to increase the representation of all minorities in the study of engineering by increasing student awareness and encouraging students of color to pursue engineering. This summer program came to be known as First Americans— Tomorrow's Engineers (FATE). Dean Colver, along with Dr. William Upthegrove, dean of the College of Engineering, and their administrative staff saw a unique opportunity to recruit more American Indian students into engineering because of the large Indian population within the state and the university. They created an office which became known as the office of FATE programs and offered me the job as office director, which I accepted and worked at for the next five years.

A Society of Our Own
As an integral part of the summer FATE sessions, we invited professional American Indian engineers to make presentations about their fields of study and professional pursuits. We worked from a list of only 30 names. Through a series of conversations with those on this list, I was led to Al Qöyawayma, Hopi, (formerly Al Q. Colton), an engineer with Arizona's Salt River Project; Jerry Elliott, Osage, a physicist with NASA; and Carol Metcalf Gardipe, Penobscot, director of the University of New Mexico's College of Engineering Native American Program. We were kindred spirits and committed to the goal of drawing more Indians into the sciences and engineering. Through frequent and lengthy telephone conversations and occasional meetings at minority engineering gatherings, we decided that it was important to create a society of American Indian engineers. This was a critical need at the time because other minorities had their own associations of professional engineers and scientists speaking on behalf of their needs. It was important to ensure the American Indian voice was heard and Indian efforts and programs would receive their fair share of attention and support. With renewed vigor, we identified as many Indian engineers as possible and promoted the idea of creating a professional society. The list of names grew and there was general consensus among those contacted that it was a good idea to formally organize. So Jerry, Carol, Al, I and many others drafted the articles of incorporation, wrote the constitution and a set of bylaws as required by the state to incorporate, and filed the appropriate paperwork. The National Society of American Indian Engineers (NSAIE) was formally incorporated in 1975.

We now had a formal organizational structure in place to take on the important task of increasing the representation of American Indian engineers. The goals of the NSAIE were:

• To provide an organization for American Indian engineers and related scientists which will promote unity and cooperation and will provide a basis from which efforts may be made toward the advancement of the American Indian people; and

• To provide assistance to American Indian engineering students, including financial assistance, during the academic year.

The national movement to increase the representation of all minorities in engineering motivated A.T. "Andy" Anderson, Mohawk, chemical engineer with Union Carbide; Al Qöyawayma; and Carol Metcalf Gardipe (among others) to form the American Indian Engineering Council (AIEC) in 1976 to ensure Indians were well represented and involved. The AIEC worked with key organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and especially the National Research Council's Committee on Minorities (COM), which underwrote some of the travel expenses that made it possible for the council members to meet and take an active part in the national effort.
The council was organized to:

• Assist in coordinating Indian needs with national efforts among minority peoples in engineering to further the progress of all minorities by cooperative work and planning in education, employment, recognition and career advancement;

• Work with colleges and universities, secondary and primary schools, and students at all levels, to promote increased interest at educational institutions in educating Indians for technical professions and to inform young people and other Indians of all ages of the great opportunities open to them in science, engineering and related professions, also to personally recruit these students whenever possible.

Following its creation, the council filled a critical need and became actively involved in the national efforts to bring more American Indians into the engineering profession.

The AISES Board at the Denver 1980 conference (l to r): Al Qöyawayma, George Thomas, Tom Dawson, Elder (opening prayer), Frank Dukepoo, Agnes Stroud- Schmink, Carol Gardipe, Andy Anderson.

Resolution of Unity
In addition to the National Society of American Indian Engineers and the American Indian Engineering Council, another organization known as the American Indian Council of Architects and Engineers had been organized as a 501(c)(6) organization with the purpose of developing employment opportunities for Indian-owned architecture and engineering firms. Neal McCaleb, Chickasaw, a member of the Oklahoma state legislature and president of McCaleb-Nusbaum-Thomas Architects/ Engineers, was the chairman. Because of the nature of the organization, its members were very interested in the efforts to increase the number of American Indian architects and engineers.
There were three groups, each with its own agenda, representing the American Indian community and actively carrying out their respective programs and projects. Anderson understood that each of these groups served a valuable purpose and each had much in common with the others. He felt that by staying in close communication each could complement the other's efforts, leverage resources and better promote common purposes. He called a meeting of 17 people, including the leaders of these three organizations who all shared an active interest in each other's work as the first step in forging a closer working relationship. Anderson arranged a meeting in April 1977 at the Winrock International Livestock Research and Training Center on Petit Jean Mountain in Morrilton, Arkansas. The agenda contained this notation as the last item of business: "Discuss resolution of unity expression between the American Indian Engineering Council and the National Society of American Indian Engineers...." At some point during the discussion of this agenda item, the idea of a merger was placed on the table. It seemed to be a logical resolution of unity and the more it was deliberated, the greater the idea's appeal became. The final resolution rested on the fact that there was no good reason not to combine forces. The group voted unanimously to approve the merger.

A New Organization
Now the question became, "Who can be a member of this new society?" Both parties to the merger had an engineering reference in their names and a focus on increasing the representation of American Indians in that profession. However, there were scientists present and they offered a compelling case for adopting a philosophy of inclusion and opening the membership to scientists. Following a lively discussion, it was agreed that the new society would be inclusive of scientists and engineers.
The hard part was in selecting a name for the new society. Several were suggested including the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. Someone, whose identity is forever lost to history, commented that the acronym would be AISES, which would be pronounced "Aces." Aces has a number of positive connotations, such as "We're Number 1," "We rule" and "We're the best." This of course was an acronym worthy of our vision and the new organization that was to make it real, so the name was approved: the American Indian Science & Engineering Society (AISES) was officially born.

In Retrospect
As a new engineer, I was privileged to be at the meeting on Petit Jean Mountain among this amazing group of people. I knew the idea that had brought us together was not only in the realm of the possible, but it was highly probable that it would be realized in all its ambition. The organizers were a special group of individuals; all had enjoyed an enviable level of accomplishment and success in their careers. Their passionate desire to create opportunities for others by giving of themselves made them special and worthy of our continued respect and appreciation. They held strong opinions, had demonstrated their capability in all of their endeavors, and exuded a degree of confidence that was contagious. There was no doubt that what needed to be done would be done well.
I had set out on a quest to identify role models and that is exactly what I had done: because the room was filled with people whose expectations I would strive to live up to for the rest of my career. Within that small meeting room where we first met was in all likelihood the largest gathering of American Indian scientists and engineers ever assembled in one place up to that time. Looking out over this intimidating group, I couldn't help but question how we would perform as a team. I got the answer and in the process I learned a great lesson, a lesson that anyone interested in organizing people for any purpose would do well to learn.

Working Together
With no elected leader, the role of meeting facilitator fell to Andy Anderson, who had organized the meeting and was commonly recognized as the dean of the group because of his seniority and many years of leadership within the Indian community. Anderson was a man of quiet dignity and grace; with all he'd accomplished, he was humble and respectful to all who came into his presence. We were blessed to have him present and in a leadership role.
I recall as we were gathering for one of our first meetings that Anderson admonished us to "Check your ego at the door!" He explained his leadership philosophy and as I recall he said, "What goes on at these meetings is not about you, it's about this team's efforts to build a society for the benefit of our American Indian students and our communities. None of us have the talent, knowledge, time, resources or capability to do the job that needs doing on our own. That's why we need each other and why we must depend on each other and unite in the service of our common goal. We will not succeed if we each attempt to further our own competing agenda at the cost of the greater cause. Work together and we succeed, work at cross purposes and we will assuredly fail."
This was a powerful lesson taught by a man who had earned everyone's respect. From that moment forward we were a team, and in time, the AISES family. It's hard to imagine that the results of this meeting would have concluded on such a high note without Anderson's leadership and the common dedication to a purpose greater than self. The forging of a closer working relationship would keep us focused and therefore more capable of attaining the prize.

Significance
Nations, societies, communities and tribes rely on their organizations and institutions to support and facilitate their progress toward whatever vision they hold for the future. AISES has enjoyed a level of success that has allowed it to evolve into a strong institution and a valuable national asset. It has helped ensure a pool of highly qualified professionals is available to meet the demands within Native America. This work has fulfilled AISES' mission: "to increase substantially the representation of American Indian and Alaska Natives in engineering, science and other related technology disciplines."
But AISES' contribution to the people of Native America goes way beyond what can be easily quantified, graphed or described. Its true value only reveals itself in the stories that its members tell, and many hold deep meaning and touch us in very personal and profound ways.

George Thomas, Cherokee, is a project manager for UNITY in Oklahoma City. He is an AISES cofounder and a Sequoyah Member of AISES. Thomas has received the Ely S. Parker award for his lifelong leadership role in Indian affairs.