The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is a 501(c)(3) professional association for electronic engineering and electrical engineering (and associated disciplines) with its corporate office in New York City[4] and its operations center in Piscataway, New Jersey. It was formed in 1963 from the amalgamation of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers.[5]
Due to its expansion of scope into so many related fields, it is simply referred to by the letters I-E-E-E (pronounced I-triple-E), except on legal business documents. As of 2018[update], it is the world's largest association of technical professionals[6] with more than 423,000 members in over 160 countries around the world.[7] Its objectives are the educational and technical advancement of electrical and electronic engineering, telecommunications, computer engineering and similar disciplines.[4][8]
The IEEE traces its founding to 1884 and the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. In 1912, the rival Institute of Radio Engineers was formed. Although the AIEE was initially larger, the IRE attracted more students and was larger by the mid-1950s.[9] The AIEE and IRE merged in 1963.
The IEEE headquarters is in New York City at 3 Park Ave, but most business is done at the IEEE Operations Center[10] in Piscataway, NJ, first occupied in 1975.
The AIEE and the IRE merged to create the IEEE on January 1, 1963. At that time, the combined group had 150,000 members, 93% in the United States. By 1984 there were 250,000 members, 20% of whom were outside the U.S.[citation needed]
The Australian Section of the IEEE existed between 1972 and 1985. After this date, it split into state- and territory-based sections.[11]