The History of the System Safety Society In the early 1960s, a small but dedicated group of managers, scientists, and engineers became personally involved in the initial implementation of system safety engineering in some of the major aerospace programs. They began to meet to share their common interests and visions for the potential of the system safety process in accident reduction. It soon became apparent to them that existing professional organizations and societies did not provide a sufficiently receptive and stimulating environment in which the long-range objectives envisioned for the system safety concept could flourish. Therefore, in 1962, the System Safety Society was organized and chartered in California through the dedicated efforts of Mr. Roger Lockwood and the founding pioneers. As the Society enjoyed a steady growth in numbers, scope and influence, it was incorporated as a non-profit professional organization (IRS Classification 501(c)(6)). The membership now extends to more than 24 different countries. For more information on the history of the System Safety Society: The Founding of the System Safety Society System Safety Society Incorporation Past System Safety Society Presidents Past System Safety Society Officers Past System Safety Society Directors The System Safety Society Logo The Journal of System Safety The Founding of the System Safety Society The System Safety Society was founded by Roger Lockwood (USC) on Dec. 1, 1963, as a non-profit organization named the Aerospace System Safety Society. It was eventually chartered in the state of California on Feb. 11, 1964. The main supporters of this founding effort were C.O. Miller (USC) and Jerry Lederer (Flight Safety Foundation). The first chapter to form was the Northwest Chapter in Seattle, Washington in 1964  In 1967, the name of the society was changed to the System Safety Society by a ballot vote of all the members. Company memberships were instituted in 1972 under the guidance of Ed Fosler. SSS Incorporation On October 24, 1973, the System Safety Society was incorporated as a non-profit professional organization in the District of Columbia. The initial registered agent was Gordon F. MacDougal. The registered office was 1200 18th St. NW. Signers of the articles of incorporation were: Mr. Emerson Harris (McLean, VA) Mr. E.T. Driver (Reston, VA) Mr. C.O. Miller (McLean, VA) The original Board of Directors were: Mr. E T. Driver Mr. Donald "Red" Layton Mr. C.O. Miller Mr. Loran W. Sapp Mr. D.A. Smith Past System Safety Society Presidents Year Name Affiliation Chapter 1963-1964 Roger Lockwood USC So. Calif. 1964-1965 George Haviland USAF (Major) So. Calif. 1965-1966 Richard Kohlheyer Douglas Missile & Space So. Calif 1966-1967 Charles O. Miller USC So. Calif. 1967-1968 Niel Classon Boeing Northwest (Seattle) ## 1968- * B.P.Hilgeson NASA Wash. D.C. 1968-1970 Elwood Driver DOT Wash. D.C. 1970-1971 Jack Parrish Consultant Wash. D.C. 1971-1972 Roy Harris TRW So. Calif. 1972-1973 Edward Fosler Hughes Aircraft So. Calif. 1973-1975 # Emerson Harris NTSB Wash. D.C. 1975-1977 Rex Gordon Ford Aerospace So. Calif. 1977-1979 George Peters Attorney So. Calif. 1979- ** William Prescott Northrop So. Calif. 1979-1981 Brian Moriarity DeLeuw Cather Wash. D.C. 1981-1983 James Chappee NASA (MSC) Texas  1983-1985 George Mumma Martin Marietta Denver  1985-1987 Kenneth Pethe Martin Marietta Denver  1987-1989 Erskine Harton Consulatant Wash. D.C. 1989-1991 Harris Yeager USAF Wash. D.C. 1991-1993 Charles Hoes Hoes Engineering Davis, CA  1993-1995 Michael Brown U.S. Navy (NSWC) Wash. D.C. 1995-1997 Paul Kinzey U.S. Navy (NSC) Wash. D.C. 1997-1999 Perry D’Antonio Sandia National Labs New Mexico 1999-2001 Paige Ripani Applied Ordnance Technology Wash D.C. 2001-2003 Clif Ericson Applied Ordnance Technology Wash D.C. 2003-2005 Paul Kryska Novellus Systems San Jose, CA 2005-present Larry Jones Dynetics, Inc. Huntsville, AL *      When elected president, Mr. Hilgeson was Director of Safety for NASA. He died prior to assuming office, and vice president Elwood "Woody" Driver assumed his office. **   Vice president Bill Wescott assumed the office of president upon the resignation of George Peters. #      A constitutional change in 1973 provided for a two-year term for elected Society officers. ##           The Northwest Chapter was originally started in 1964 in Seattle, but became inactive in the 1980s. System Safety Society Officers Year President Exec VP Treasurer Secretary 1963-1964 Roger Lockwood       1964-1965 George Haviland       1965-1966 Richard Kohlheyer       1966-1967 Charles O. Miller       1967-1968 Niel Classon   Ed von Wolfersdorff Norbert Ramirez 1968- * B.P.Hilgeson       1968-1970 Elwood Driver       1970-1971 Jack Parrish       1971-1972 Roy Harris       1972-1973 Edward Fosler       1973-1975 # Emerson Harris Benedict Leotta Timothy G. Kenney Erskine E. Harton Jr. 1975-1977 Rex Gordon Edward A. Fosler William W. Westcott Nurbert E. Schmidt 1977-1979 George A. Peters William W. Westcott Edward Beck Barbara Peters 1979- ** William Prescott       1979-1981 Brian Moriarity Carl C. Clark Jack Dixon Jr. James Gibble 1981-1983 James H. Chappee John P. Rankin Emil J. Amberboy Clifton Gremillion 1983-1985 George B. Mumma Travis Pethe Dean Jones Patty Baldwin 1985-1987 Travis (Ken) Pethe Ervin S. Dean Jr. Joyce McDivott Richard. J. Tower 1987-1989 Erskine Harton Joseph Pizzo Richard Clarke Peter Rutledge 1989-1991 Harris Yeager Richard Clarke Vito Longo Ludwig Benner 1991-1993 Charles Hoes Dev Raheja Ira Rimson Paul Kinzey 1993-1995 Michael Brown Harris Yeager Joseph Pizzo Gary Staffo 1995-1997 Paul Kinzey Michael Alloco Barry Richard Karen Fisher 1997-1999 Perry D’Antonio Paige Ripani Paul Kriska Mark Anderson 1999-2001 Paige Ripani Clifton A. Ericson II Jon Derickson Niles Welch 2001-2003 Clifton A. Ericson II Niles Welch William Pottratz Saralyn Dwyer 2003-2005 Paul Kryska Larry Jones Chris Olson Melissa Emery 2005-2007 Larry Jones Melissa Emery Mary Ellen Caro John Livingston 2007-2009 Jim Wiggins Mary Ellen Caro William Pottratz Jeff Speer System Safety Society Directors Year Director Director Director 1963-1964       1964-1968 Gordon Willard     1968-1970       1970-1974       1974-1978       1978-1981 Patricia Fiels George Mumma Waymon Johnston 1981-1985 James Gibble James L. Crawford Waymon Johnston 1983-1987 Carl C. Clark Richard E. Olson John P. Rankin 1985-1989 Lawrence Hughes Harris Yeager Louis Rackley 1987-1991 Roger Lockwood C.O. Miller Gary Staffo 1989-1993 Rodney Simmons T.C. Noble Dean Jones 1991-1995 Robert Sweginnis James Covan Scott Ostrowski 1993-1997 Brian Moriarity Richard Stephans Pat Clemens 1995-1999 Rodney Simmons James Fitzgerald Ellen Overton 1997-2001 Charles Hoes Warner Talso Chuck Dorney 1999-2003 Bob Sweginnis Benny Smith Paul Kryska 2001-2005 Josh McNeil Barry Hendrix Steve Smith 2003-2007 Steve Mattern Jerry Banister Jon Derickson 2005-2009 Ann Waterman Russ Mitchell Geoff McIntyre 2007-2011 Rodney Simmons Clif Ericson Darrell Stokes The System Safety Society Logo The current logo of the System Safety Society was designed by Dwight Leffingwell of the Northwest (Seattle) Chapter in 1968. The Chapter had initiated a contest for a logo design, and Dwight's was the winning entry. The two Sigma symbols were intended to represent two S's for System Safety (ref. Hazard Prevention, Vol. 4 No. 6 March 1968). This logo design was then presented to Society headquarters for consideration, and was adopted as the Society's official logo on June 24, 1968, by a majority vote of the Society's Board of Directors (ref. Hazard Prevention, Vol. 5 No. 1 Sept 1968). Journal of System Safety Journal of System Safety was originally published under the name Hazard Prevention. HP, as it was often referred to, was started in June 1965 by George Peters (Rocketdyne). George was also responsible for selecting the name Hazard Prevention for the publication. In September 1999, the name of the journal was officially changed to Journal of System Safety (JSS). This change was adopted by the SSS Executive Council as a move to make the Society and the journal much more professional.  JSS Editors Year Name Notes Affiliation Issues 1964-1965 Roger Lockwood  Aerospace System Safety Society Newsletter   V1 N1 (1/64) thru V1 N4, V2 N2 1965-1966 George Peters Chose the name HP in August 1965 issue (Vol. 3 No. 1). New 5.5 x 8.5 format. Rocketdyne V3 N1 (8/65) thru V4 N3 (12/66)     Roger Lockwood Interim editor   V4 N4 (5/67) thru V4 N5 (Summer/67) Chuck Miller  One issue as an interim editor     1968-1969 Jim Johncox Started 8.5 x 11 format Boeing, Northwest Chapter, Seattle V4 N6 (3/68) thru V6 N2 (12/69) 1970-1977 Don Layton Started bound format Naval Post Graduate School V6 N3 (3/70) thru V13 N5 (6/77) 1977-1979   George Peters   V14 N1 (10/77) thru V15 N5 (6/79) 1979-1981   David E. Galas     V15 N6 (10/79) thru V17 N3 (6/81) 1981-1985   Sergio R. Concha Bi-monthly      V17 N4 (10/81) thru V21 N3 (6/85) 1985-1986 Rex Gordon Bi-monthly    Ford Aerospace V21 N4 (10/85) thru V22 N1 (6/86) 1986-1993 George Kendrick        V22 N5 (10/86) thru V29 N1 (1Q/93) 1993-1997 Charles Hoes     Hoes Engineering   V29 N2 (2Q/93) thru V33 N2 (2Q/97) 1997-2007 Niles Welch Started two-color format. Name changed to Journal of System Safety in 1999. Publication expanded to bi-monthly, including two electronic issues. A.S. Waterman V33 N3 (3Q/97) to Nov.-Dec. 2007 2007- Clif Ericson   EG&G Nov.-Dec. 2007 -