NSBE and NSBE-AE History

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a nonprofit organization managed by students. It had its genesis at a national conference planned and hosted by the Society of Black Engineers at Purdue University in April 1975. Black Engineering students from throughout the United States and Canada attended this event to lay the foundation for an organization which would promote the recruitment, retention and successful graduation of Blacks in engineering.

NSBE develops intensive program for increasing the participation for Black and other ethnic minorities in the fields of engineering and the engineering technologies. In pursuit of this mission, NSBE operates through a university-base structure coordinated through regional zones, and administrated by the National Executive Board. Using this operational structure, NSBE initiates programs both, within and outside, the university committee.

NSBE was incorporated in December 1976 in the state of Texas. It is a tax-exempt organization under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia. All contributions are tax deductible.

The local chapters are the center of NSBE activity. Chapters create and conduct projects in the areas of pre-college student interaction, university academic support, mechanism, and career guidance programs. NSBE chapters are located on accredited college and university campuses through the United States and parts of the World.

In March, 1988, at NSBE's 14th Annual conference, the organization approved the adoption of the NSBE Alumni Extension (NSBE-AE) . This addition to the overall NSBE structure not only promotes participation and input from the professional engineering community, but also provides a mechanism for NSBE graduates to continue their involvement with the organization.