AeA was founded in 1943 by David Packard and 25 of Hewlett-Packard's suppliers to help West Coast companies secure government contracts during World War II.  Originally operating as the West Coast Electronics Manufacturing Association (WCEMA), almost all of AeA's earliest members were located in California.  By 1946 WCEMA membership had doubled to 50 companies and by 1965 had climbed to 225.

In 1969, WCEMA changed its name to the Western Electronic Manufacturers Association (WEMA) to reflect the growing membership outside of the Golden State.  By 1971 WEMA membership reaches nearly 600 companies.  In 1977, the association once again changed its name to the American Electronics Association, in an effort to more accurately represent its 750 members nationwide.  A final name change occurred in 2001, as the American Electronics Association was shortened to AeA with the tagline, "Advancing the Business of Technology^®."  

The change to AeA allows the association to accurately reflect the entire high-tech industry beyond electronics.  Today, AeA's nearly 2,500 members (and the 1.8 million employees they represent nationwide) embodies the entire spectrum of high tech, including the aerospace/defense, business related services, computers, medical equipment, semiconductors/electronic components, software, and telecommunications industries.

AeA's primary purpose is helping our member's top and bottom lines by providing the following services:  Access to Investors; State, Federal & International Lobbying; Insurance Services; Government Procurement; Business Networking; Foreign Market Access; Select Business Services; and Executive Education.

To optimally represent the nation's ever-growing electronic and information technology industries' needs, AeA is the only grassroots high-tech association in the country with regional councils.  In 1943, only the San Francisco Council (today known as the Silicon Valley/Northern California Council) and the Los Angeles Council existed.  Today AeA has 18 offices in and around the United States, as well as international offices in Brussels (AeA Europe) and Beijing (The United States Information Technology Organization - USITO).

From the association's founding in 1943 until 1974, the Board of Directors' Chairman  also served as association President.  In 1974, E.E. Ferrey became the first executive President of AeA.  Since Ferrey, there have only been three Presidents, James R. (Dick) Iverson who served from 1986 to 1995, William T. (Bill) Archey who served between 1994 and 2008, and and the current President and CEO Christopher W. Hansen who joined the Association in 2007.

More AeA History...

• Past AeA Board of Directors Chairmen

• Past Winners of the AeA Medal of Achievement Award

• AeA High-Tech Timeline

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This page was last updated on 09/08/08.  
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