On November 16, 1968, in Denver Colorado, The Military Audiology and Speech Pathology Society (MASPS) was formed. The founding members are listed below along with each participant’s branch of service:
USA:
Kenneth B. Aspinall
Gerald R. Bearce
Walter S. Charlip
Donald R. Ciliax
John L. Fletcher
Jerod Goldstein
Karl W. Hattler
Flora Langston
Jerry L. Northern
Richard H. Purdy
Roy K. Sedge
USN:
Russell L. Sergeant
John C. Webster
USAF:
James E. Endicott
Alan J. Rost, Jr.
The first annual dinner and business meeting of MASPS was held in Chicago, Illinois on November 13, 1969 at George Diamond’s Steak House and coincided with the annual ASHA convention. The guest speaker was Dr. Raymond Carhart from Northwestern University whose lecture that evening was entitled “Military Influence on the Field of Audiology Through the Years.” The association has continued to bring together military audiologists for professional development each year since then, with the latest meeting being held this last April 2004 in Park City, Utah.
By 1969 there were a total 44 members who had paid $5.00 each for a lifetime membership. Considering that in 1968 the educational requirement for commissioning as a military audiologist was a Master’s degree in either speech language pathology or audiology, it is appropriate that both specialties were recognized in the name of the association “MASPS”. A very detailed “special report” which more thoroughly describes military opportunities in Speech Pathology and Audiology at that time appeared in the ASHA journal in August 1968. The report was written by a young Army Captain named Jerry Northern and can be downloaded here.
It was not until 28 March 1990 that the decision was made to change the name of MASPS to the Military Audiology Association (MAA). The decision to change the name, and delete speech pathology was based on the results of a questionnaire that had been distributed to military audiologists in the Army, Air Force and Navy. In a memorandum from Dennis Sekine, then president of the association, the recommendation was made to change the name of the organization to the Military Audiology Association. This change was well accepted by the members. Less well accepted was the change for membership dues, which climbed from $5 for a lifetime membership, to $10 per year!
Thanks to 1LT Leanne Cleveland for assistance with this article.