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- History of HKN -
(adapted from hkn.org)
Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) is the international honor society for electrical and computer engineering. It is the result of the vision of Maurice L. Carr, an electrical engineering student at the Univesity of Illinois. Along with 9 other students, they started the organization on October 28, 1904. The society deemed that students would be eligible for membership based primarily on scholarship and secondly on character and other personal attributes as HKN would be an Electrical Engineering Honor Society. Late in the 1930’s the national officers recommended to chapters that the membership requirements should be the top 1/4 of the junior EE class and the top 1/3 of the senior EE classs. This was made mandatory in the national Constitution in 1947.
The founding 10 members decided to make the Wheatstone bridge the emblem of the society. Carr actually preferred the Caduceus to be the official emblem. However, only in later years did he remark he did not realize the medical profession selected it as their preferred symbol. The HKN Coat of Arms (Shield) was initiated in 1927 and contains various historical markers about the society such as the hand of Jupiter contains 10 lightning bolts to symbolize the 10 founding members.
The first publication by the society was a small 4-page leaflet titled “The Electrical Field” in the Spring of 1906. It was devoted almost entirely to employment as it discussed 4 companies EE’s worked for as well as a list of graduating members from the University of Illinois and Purdue University chapters. It was published annually until 1909 when the society began semi-annual publication. It was later renamed “The Bridge” and is now published twice a year.
From the beginning of the society up to World War II, the EE profession grew very slowly as power and telecommunication systems became more commonplace. World War II provided a significant catalyst that thrust the EE profession to the forefront. Battlefield frontlines now required new electronic and communication systems to conduct the war. At the conclusion of the War, the GI Bill provided many service men and women the opportunity to attend college. As a result, many GI Bill students majored in electrical engineering.
The world began to realize the importance and benefits of electricity in every day life and the profession began to grow even further. Since then, EE’s have been the force behind a large and powerful sector of the economy. Many of the leaders who established the industry are members of HKN.
With the growing impact of computers, HKN now serves as the honor society for both electrical engineering and computer engineering. Since it’s inception, over 200,000 members have gone on to make significant impacts in industry and academia.
The Beta Eta Chapter was established on May 28, 1938 at NC State. For the majority of the chapter’s first 67 years, the Chapter operated out of Daniels Hall on Main Campus where the Department of Electrical Engineering (and eventually Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) resided. In the Fall of 2005, the Chapter and department moved to Centennial Campus to the brand new Engineering Building II. The Chapter was also awarded the prestigious Outstanding Chapter Award for the 2004-2005 Academic Year.
CoE Dean Masanari and ECE Department Head Dr. Trew presents the Outstanding Chapter Award
to Chapter President Chris Braswell and Chapter Faculty Advisor Dr. Lazzi for the 2004-2005 Academic Year
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