Starting in 1992, the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) began to explore the possibility of establishing a foundation which would support research, education and public awareness of the nondestructive testing industry. In early 1994, the ASNT Board of Directors took the first step and established the Foundation Task Force. This group met during 1994 and 1995 to answer the original charter questions:
- Does a foundation provide benefits beyond the existing ASNT structure?
- How do other foundations operate?
- What is the purpose of other foundations?
The Foundation Task Force answered these questions and further explored the use of a consultant who could examine the viability of the new Foundation. As a result of the work of this group, in October 1995, the ASNT Board of Directors took the second step and established the Foundation Development Committee. This committee developed the formal mission and purpose of this new Foundation. The committee identified potential research projects for the Foundation, and developed a survey and a distribution list to confirm the viability of the Foundation.
As a result of a telephone survey and meetings held in Seattle, Washington, the development committee scheduled a follow-up meeting in Houston, Texas, with ten prominent professionals, wrote a detailed background article for ASNT's technical journal, Materials Evaluation , and held an informative town meeting at the ASNT Fall Conference in 1997.
The International Foundation for the Advancement of Nondestructive Testing was incorporated as a 501(c)3 corporation in September of 1997. The first contributions were received later that year...