History

Early attempts to organize an association representing the users of commercial explosives lacked organizational success and did not survive. For example, the International Society of Explosives Specialists was formed in Newark, New Jersey in 1969, under the leadership of Al Teller, to raise the standards of explosives work throughout the industry. After some financial difficulties, and two conferences, both at Del Webb's TowneHouse in Phoenix, Arizona, the organization dissolved in 1972.

Another organization, the American Association of Explosives Engineers was in existence in the mid-1970's. The President of the organization, which was headquartered in Enola, Pennsylvania and claimed to be active in eleven states, was L. Ronald Shaffer. The American Blasting Association was successful, however. It was formed in Boston, Massachusetts, in the 1970's, and went on to become chartered in 1980 as the New England Chapter of the ISEE, one of the largest and most active chapters of the Society.

On August 20, 1974, the first organizational meeting of the Society of Explosives Engineers took place at the Sheraton Motor Inn in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At that meeting, the Society was organized to promote the science and art of explosives engineering for the public good, and provide forums for the discussion of the principles and techniques of explosives engineering, establish a repository of information, serve the states and the nation as a body of specialists, establish certification procedure for practitioners, promote standardization of terminology, promote explosives as part of engineering curriculum, and cooperate with other national and international organizations having common interests.

Founding Directors
The following individuals comprised the first Board of Directors of the Society:
* Dean Boddorff, Hercules Explosives, Wilmington, DE
* Jerry Brower, J.S.Brower & Associates, Pomona, CA
* Joe Dannenburg, Wilmington, DE
* Richard Dick, US Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, MN
* Tom Dowling, Trojan US Powder, Allentown, PA
* D.T. Froedge, Div of Explosives & Blasting, Dept. of Mines & Minerals, State of Kentucky
* I.E. (Chip) Harris, Nello L. Teer Company, Durham, NC
* Calvin Konya, School of Mines, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WVA
* Don Mathews, Explosives Engineering, Inc., Sparks, MD
* Hank Van Ormer, Ingersoll-Rand Co., Mocksville, NC
* Ed Smith, Ed Smith & Sons, Inc., Lilburn, GA
* Richard Wilding, Huntington, West Virginia

Past Presidents
Calvin J. Konya (1975)
Jerry Brower (1977)
Don Mathews (1980)
Ed Smith (1983)
Alan Hooper (1986)
Lex Udy (1989)
Russell Boren (1992)
Dave Thomas (1995)
Paul Kunze (1998)
Larry Schneider (2000)
Tom Watts (2002)
Dale Ramsey (2004)
Larry Gilmore (2006)

Lifetime Honorary Members
Calvin J. Konya, First President of the Society of Explosives Engineers, Montville, Ohio