At the time, Anthony Harris was the head of the Purdue chapter. He started a letter-writing campaign to reach out to engineering programs nationwide. In their correspondence, the SBE wanted these schools to identify their Black student base and also explained the group’s aims.
Over 80 schools responded, which planted the seeds for the group’s first national meeting to be held in April 1975. Just shy of 50 students representing 32 schools attended the event, and it was also where Harris introduced the re-branding of the SBE as the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE).
The NBSE was incorporated in Texas the following year, and is now headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. Ms. Sossenna Wood is the current National Chair for the NSBE.
(Photo: Purdue University)
