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History of the IEEE Power Electronics Society
Welcome to the history home page of the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS). Here is the place where you can find out more about the history of our society and the people who made it happen and make it work. The Power Electronic Society is part of the largest technical professional organization in the world, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers. Established in 1884 with such illustrious names as Thomas A. Edison and Alexander Graham Bell among the initial officers, the non profit IEEE has about 320,000 members in 147 countries and publishes 25% of the world's literature on electrical and electronics engineering and computers. The IEEE History Center has a short and interesting history of the IEEE.
The IEEE is divided into into about 37 speciality areas called Technical Societies or Councils, and the IEEE Power Electronics Society is one of these. First formed as a Council of several Technical Societies in 1983, it began publishing the IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics January 1986. It was officially chartered as its own Technical Society January 1, 1988. For a short time after it was chartered, it was the fastest growing society in the IEEE, reflecting the need to service members specializing in this discipline. PELS now has about 5,000 members located in countries throughout the world. These members are further divided into about 27 local chapters around the world.
"As I Remember It"
Beginnings of the Power Electronics Specialists Conference - Henry Oman
Awards
William E. Newell Award
Early Beginnings
Abstract of Burns and Kassakian editorials
Historian Reports
Message From the Historian - February 1996
Annual_Report_March_1996
Status Report - June 1996
Annual Report - January 1997
Power Electronics Society History Archives
Index of materials maintained by Jerrold Foutz
Index of materials maintained by Stephen D. Freeland
Chair:
The current chair is listed as a member of the Administrative Committee