100 Years of Editorial Excellence

Jun 1, 2001 12:00 PM, By Ellen Parson, Senior Managing Editor

When we began our journey back through time to rediscover our magazine's rich heritage, we knew we'd find all sorts of events that shaped the electrical industry, including inventions, technology, and trends. What we didn't quite realize was how amazing the evolution of the electrical industry and progression of the electrical profession would turn out to be. You expect things to change in 100 years, but it's remarkable how far the electrical industry has come in the last century. Through these transitions, EC&M was there every step of the way — through good times and bad. It was there when the mystery surrounding electricity began to fade. It was there when electrification spread across America, the Depression plagued the nation, and wars came and went. It was there when industrialization, computers, automation, telecommunications, consolidation, and deregulation hit the scene. But most of all, this article demonstrates how EC&M was (and continues to be) the “must-read” magazine in the electrical industry. We hope you have as much fun reading this retrospective as we had putting it together. (As you read through EC&M's history, please note that the magazine changed names six times since 1901. The various magazine titles cited in this article are all previous names of EC&M. For a detailed explanation of this progression, see this month's editorial.)