ASTM

1965
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
B-10 on
Reactive and
Refractory
Metals and
Alloys
E-24 on
Fracture
Testing
F-5 on
Business
Imaging
Products
E-27 on
Hazard
Potential of
Chemicals
F-6 on
Resilient
Floor
Coverings
F-7 on
Aerospace
and Aircraft
“Extending the Influence” 45
Internally, the Society had evolved from a handful
of technical committees devoted to steel and
cement standards into a fairly complex organization
comprised of a management structure and more than
80 committees involved in a wide range of activities.
After decades of sharing office space with other
technical societies, ASTM finally moved into its
own newly-built headquarters at 1916 Race Street,
Philadelphia, in
1964. The building
accommodated the
organization’s staff
that supported
technical committees,
edited the
annual Book of
Standards and
ASTM’s member
publications,
organized meetings
and symposia,
and performed a variety of administrative functions.
ASTM, which did much to facilitate the phenomenal
success of American industry during the postwar era,
also shared some of the problems plaguing the
nation’s businesses during the late 1960s. Not unlike
many American corporations, it suffered from a lack
of management expertise and accumulated
considerable
debts. These
problems called
for a strategic
reconfiguration of
the organization,
a task that fell
to William T.
Cavanaugh,
ASTM’s “second
founder.”
A
A. On May 11, 1964, members and guests gathered from Europe,
Canada, the United States, and Mexico to participate in the dedication
ceremony of ASTM’s new headquarters building at 1916 Race St. in
Philadelphia.