APWA’s History: In Perspective

Robert D. Bugher

Executive Director Emeritus American Public Works Association

Editor’s Note: Four years after his retirement as the CEO of APWA (from 1953-1989), the author of this article addressed the Annual Meeting of the Public Works Historical Society. The meeting was held in Phoenix, Ariz., in conjunction with the 1993 APWA International Public Works Congress & Exposition. His remarks on that occasion were entitled “Milestones in APWA’s History.” They appear, in full, in the Association’s book People Making Public Works History. We appreciate his consenting to prepare an article for the special 75th Anniversary section of this issue, commemorating the founding of APWA 75 years ago.

From the beginning of civilization, as we know it, people have instinctively joined together for their own selfinterests. The natural resources of land and water were manipulated to grow food for families and tribes in ancient times. As humans learned from their experiences, different types of networks emerged to respond to both “kind-hearted” and “evil-minded” people. Based on my reading of history, there are more organizations, and forces for good, working to serve people than to harm them. This may be due to the fact that humans are naturally endowed with more positive than negative genes…more favorably inclined toward liberty, with peace and justice for all, than to evil, conflict and violence.

Regardless of the reasons, improvements in the education and communication of people have enhanced the quality of life of each succeeding generation. The growth and development of the global community during the past century, in particular, has accelerated the evolutionary process. Millions of public and private organizations have been created to produce products and services, and provide useful employment opportunities, for people around the world. Thousands of national, state and local governments have been formed to provide schools, transportation facilities, and water and waste control systems which sustain economic growth and prosperity.

The evolution of the free enterprise system in the United States, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, brought about both progress and challenges for the new nation. The interdependence of the public and private sectors of the economy was widely recognized. One of the major concerns was the lack of professional talent to staff “key” positions in state and local governments. The success of the private sector resulted in the growth of many philanthropic institutions during this period. One, namely the Spelman Fund, created by the John D. Rockefeller family, recognized this problem. It provided grants to several groups of public officials, who were trying to form associations, to promote professionalism in their respective fields of activity.

Two such groups were the American Society of Municipal Engineers, organized in 1894, and the International Association of Public Works Officials, formed in 1919. With financial assistance from the Spelman Fund and the vision and dedicated efforts of Donald C. Stone, these groups merged in 1937 to form the American Public Works Association. Dr. Margaret Mead, the famous anthropologist, once said, “Make the most of each day, so others may grow and develop on what you have learned.” This reflects the kind of “intergenerational” thinking that led to the formation of APWA and has influenced its growth and development during the past 75 years.

It was my good fortune to join the staff in 1953, as assistant to Donald Herrick, who was then serving as Executive Director of the Association. It was headquartered on the campus of the University of Chicago. I succeeded him in this position in 1958. Members, of course, constitute the most important resource of any association. They determine its purpose and the scope of its goals and objectives. The fact that APWA has experienced steady growth from 750 members, when it was created in 1937, to nearly 30,000 today, indicates that significant progress has been made in responding to the perceived needs of the membership and its constituents. The history of APWA has been well documented in the pages of its monthly magazine, the APWA Reporter, as well as APWA’s 658-page book, People Making Public Works History. Therefore, I will not repeat it in this article. However, I should make it perfectly clear that much of the credit for the progress made is due to the excellent leadership provided by the Presidents and Boards of Directors over the years. The Board adopted a strategic plan for the growth and development of APWA in the late 1960s. It is updated, from time to

time, and has served as a blueprint for many of the programs and activities successfully undertaken in recent years.

Recognizing that a mixed audience will, naturally, interpret views from different perspectives, I will proceed to share some of my observations about the history of APWA over the last 50 years, in particular. What might be called milestones in the evolution of APWA can be grouped into five “building blocks,” each contributing much to the progress made by the Association: (1) Education (the Annual Congress & Exposition, Multiplicity of Training Programs); (2) Chapters and Branches; (3) Publications and Outreach Programs; (4) Coordination and Cooperation; and (5) Special Activities.

Education. The APWA Congress & Exposition continues to be the premiere event of the year for all segments of the multi-billion-dollar public works industry. It features a broad range of educational programs and is a unifying forum for all aspects of this multi-faceted profession. The exposition is highlighted by hundreds of exhibits of the newest products, equipment and services available to respond to the public works needs of state and local governments throughout North America.

For many years, APWA has offered a wide variety of workshops and seminars to provide opportunities for the training and development of its members and other employees of public works agencies. This past year, however, bold action was taken to create the Donald C. Stone Center for Leadership Excellence in Public Works. This can become a milestone in the advancement of the public works profession, because of the comprehensive nature of the Center. It has created three Leadership Designations: Public Works Supervisor, Manager and Executive. Individuals may progress along one or more paths based on interests, background, opportunities and experience. Building leadership skills in the next generation is the primary goal of the Center. The program also includes a unique opportunity to learn from APWA’s most experienced executives— Public Works Leadership Fellows— each of whom has at least 20 years of senior executive experience and is committed to mentor an aspiring candidate in this innovative executive development program. A certification and credentialing system has also been established for some technical specialty positions such as Public Fleet Manager, Infrastructure Inspector and Stormwater Manager.

Chapters and Branches are a vitally important part of the Association and are largely responsible for the growth of the membership. The knowledge gained and wisdom shared through educational programs is of little value until it is used. That is why chapters and branches are really the “key” to the ultimate success of the organization. When I first joined the staff, I devoted a great deal of my time to promoting the formation of chapters. This gave the people working for public works agencies, in the cities and counties throughout the U.S. and Canada, the opportunity to join together and actively participate in, and thus benefit, from their membership in APWA. This resulted in significant growth in all types of membership, including those in the private sector, such as consulting engineers, contractors and suppliers of equipment and other products needed to provide public works facilities and services. Chapters and branches make available opportunities for each individual member to use his or her talents and abilities to tap into APWA resources and utilize them in their respective organizations. The experience gained in doing this not only enhances one’s value, but also provides the next generation of leadership for the Association.

Publications and Outreach

Programs serve as valuable resources for implementing APWA’s aims and objectives…“Making Life Better for Everyone.” This is, obviously, an ongoing, universal objective. We can only hope to make progress toward achieving it…but it, at least, keeps us focused on an enlightened, evolutionary process for future generations. Socrates, the great Greek philosopher, once said, “Goodness in human beings is based on wisdom, while evil is based on ignorance.” He felt that knowledge was the source of all wisdom. However, he encouraged all Athenians to carefully analyze opinions to sift out what was valid from what was not, in their search for truth and knowledge.

The first publications issued by APWA were the monthly Public Works Engineers’ Newsletter and the annual Public Works Yearbook in 1937. The former was intended to keep the membership informed of current events, of general interest in the field of public works, but would include no technical articles. The latter included the proceedings of the annual Congress, as well as information regarding membership and actions of the Board of Directors. In 1962 the APWA Reporter magazine replaced both the Newsletter and the Yearbook. Action was taken to promote advertising and the quality of the Association’s official publication has continually improved over the years. It is now recognized as the primary source of information on life-cycle management of public works and this dynamic profession. APWA has also greatly expanded its publications program, in recent years, and is now considered a leading source of literature about public works, with more than 500 publications and other resources in its inventory.

APWA’s outreach program is highlighted by its sponsorship of National Public Works Week. It features the selection and recognition

The 1958 APWA Congress was held in Kansas City, Missouri. In this photo, Mayor Roe Bartle (at podium) presents a Key to the City to APWA President Sol Elleson (middle), Director of Public Works, Newport News, Virginia, and to Bob Bugher, who had recently been named Executive Director of APWA.

of the Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year; however, its most significant value is in making the general public more aware of the importance of public works in their daily lives. The media, the schools, and other means must be used to better inform citizens of how roads, water supply and other public works systems provide jobs and prosperity in our communities and make it possible for the private sector to function. This type of public education program warrants far more attention and resources than it has received in the past. Its potential benefits in helping to generate financial support for public works programs should not be overlooked. It can also help in attracting the “best and the brightest” to pursue careers in the public works profession.

Coordination and Cooperation. One of the most important actions taken by the membership was its approval of a proposed amendment to the APWA Constitution in 1963. It specifically stipulated that one of the purposes of the Association shall be the promotion of cooperation of all persons, as well as public and private organizations which have interests in the field of public works. This sets APWA apart from all other organizations serving different fields of specialization in the realm of public works. It means that APWA complements the work of such organizations and should not be perceived as a competitor, but as a unifying force in this dynamic field of activity. APWA was created to help make democracy work and promote liberty and justice for all. It strives to do this by helping state and local governments respond to the needs of their respective constituents in what they consider to be the most effective and efficient manner possible. Many opportunities have arisen where APWA has been able to coordinate projects of common interest to public works agencies. For example, when I was actively involved, we had a cooperative research program which enabled local governments, in particular, to share the cost of research projects, in which they had a common interest, but were too expensive to finance on their own. Hundreds of cities and counties joined together to share the cost of many $100,000 projects. In fact, APWA was conducting over a million dollars’ worth of research projects, at one point in time, which included some financed by contracts with the U.S. EPA and the Federal Highway Administration. It had considerable merit and should be revived.

APWA has also played a leadership role in promoting cooperation in dealing with many public works-related issues. For example, it responded to a request from the National Transportation Safety Board to take action to reduce accidents and minimize damage to underground utilities resulting from excavations in public rights-of-way. It actively promoted the formation of Utility Location and Coordination Committees and One-Call Systems, by cities and counties, which helped to alleviate the problem. It also sponsors the North American Snow Conference each year to enable those responsible for snow removal and ice control operations to share their knowledge and experience. The Association has likewise been actively involved with the Federal Emergency Management Agency in promoting the formation of mutual aid agreements among local governments, and in cooperating in other ways to deal with floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other emergencies.

Special Activities have been undertaken by APWA to enhance the growth and development of the public works profession and, eventually, have a positive impact on people in the global community. Progress made by this Association, since it was formed 75 years ago, clearly demonstrates its value to public works agencies from coast to coast. They, in turn, have provided facilities and services that have helped the private sector

prosper, thus making our nation what it is today. APWA could serve as an excellent model for the evolution of similar associations in other countries around the world.

To encourage and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and experience in the life-cycle management of public works, APWA has engaged in a variety of international activities. This has included study tours to Europe and Japan and the establishment of the Jennings Randolph International Fellowship with the cooperation of the Eisenhower Institute. It provides funding to cover the travel abroad to study some aspect of public works, and then make a presentation of the findings at a session of the APWA Congress. What I consider to be the most promising, but perhaps premature, undertaking by APWA was the formation of the International Public Works Federation in the 1980s. The CEOs of a number of well-established international organizations, such as the International Union of Local Authorities, the International Road Federation and the International Federation of Municipal Engineers kindly agreed to serve on IPWF’s Board of Directors and collaborate in its development. Unfortunately, I retired before the seeds for this new organization had a chance to take root…but I still feel that it will reappear someday as part of the evolutionary process.

Another unique organization that was created in 1975, under the auspices of APWA, is the Public Works Historical Society. It was formed as a result of the interest in history, generated among the membership with the publication of History of Public Works in the United States 1776-1976, prepared by APWA to celebrate the nation’s bicentennial. The Society’s publications and awards have stimulated a significant increase in research, by professional historians, on a wide variety of public works-related topics. Its biographical program has revealed noteworthy achievements of many pioneers of this evolving profession. Most important of all, the ongoing materials produced by the Society, and by the IPWF, can enhance the quality of the profession by increasing member awareness of public works developments from both an international and an intergenerational perspective.

The term “public works” has been universally used for centuries; yet its precise meaning varies depending on the perspective of those using it. Lyon Sprague de Camp, author of The Ancient Engineers, said, “Khnumabra was Minister of Public Works under the Persian King Darius I about 490 B.C.” The New International Version of the Bible, in Romans 16:23, indicates that Erastus, an aide to the apostle Paul, was the “director of public works” of Corinth, the famous city in Greece. He was also cited as the “Corinthian aedile…who had a section of the city’s pavement laid at his own expense.” While “infrastructure” and “civil engineering” are often used interchangeably with “public works,” the terms are not synonymous. Infrastructure is a much broader “catch-all” term, while “civil engineering” refers primarily to structures of all types in both the public and private sectors of the economy. “Public Works,” however, is unique in several respects. It has been defined as “fixed assets (normally structures used in providing public services) in which government (federal, state or local) has some type of financial interest and/or legal responsibility.” Democratic selfgovernments, and a market-based economy, have evolved as the best means of responding to the basic needs of people and helping them achieve their potential in the complex society in which we live.

There is inherent political power embodied in public works by virtue of its influence on both public and private property values. It can also have a significant impact on present and future land use and the quality of the environment in which people live and work in pursuing their goals and objectives. The piecemeal,

Pat and Bob Bugher at the Banquet during the 1997 APWA Congress in Minneapolis, Minnesota

fragmented development of individual projects, especially in metropolitan areas, is giving way to the use of special districts and authorities for the development of large-scale projects. In some cases the concept of “coordinated decentralization” has been successfully employed by using shared databases and telecommunication networks. This requires enlightened cooperation by public works managers and executives of the jurisdictions involved. States normally empower local governments to regulate the use of land, within their boundaries, and provide basic public services to their citizens. This is done directly, using public employees and competitive contracting procedures; or by granting a franchise to one or more private firms to provide such services.

The trend, in recent years, to deregulate private utilities and to use “innovative” financing procedures has, in many cases, blurred questions of ownership, liability and accountability between the public and private sectors. Frank Randall, the Rights-of-Way Superintendent of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company in Los Angeles, once told me that he felt that facilities owned by private utilities, which are used to provide basic public services, should be considered public works, the same as those owned by local governments. The determining factor, he said, should be “whether or not the services provided are subject to authorization and control by the people’s elected representatives. The customer is primarily interested in the quality, dependability and price of the service they need, regardless of who the provider may be.” This suggests that the definition of public works, mentioned above, should be broadened by inserting the word “basic” before public services.

The public works systems that serve the people of this generation are, to a large extent, an inheritance we received from our ancestors. It is deteriorating at a faster rate than it is being replaced. Yes, we are spending and thus depleting our inheritance and will soon have worn-out, obsolete public works facilities to pass on to our children and grandchildren. The people’s elected representatives, at all levels of government, must promptly and courageously respond to this need, if future generations are to enjoy the quality of life we have today and be successfully employed in the world of tomorrow. The basic problem is the lack of funding and the basic reason is lack of courage to make politically sensitive decisions.

Therefore, the challenge facing APWA and its membership, at this critical point in time, is: What can we, appropriately, do to help motivate those responsible to take the action needed to solve the problem? Elected officials, in a democracy, are normally responsive to their constituents. However, they seldom do anything unless they are well-informed on problems and how their constituents are impacted by them. Those involved in producing public works facilities and services thus have an important public education role to play in helping to solve this increasingly serious problem. Mobilizing the facts and other resources needed to conduct effective public education programs requires funds which are not readily available. Innovative thinking and action are thus required.

It seems to me that the nature of the problem is widespread and its impact will vary from one community to another, based on many factors. It will, however, impact virtually everyone. Two groupings can be clearly identified: (1) Those involved in “producing value” in the form of public works facilities and services, many of whom are members of APWA; and (2) Individuals, corporations and other organizations “receiving value” from public works facilities and services. Since the former group includes members who currently provide financial support for APWA’s programs and activities, I believe the latter group would be a potential source of income to provide funding for the expanded type of public education program suggested above. A grant from a philanthropic organization might help finance the type of fundraising program envisioned…which could include “pilot” projects conducted in cooperation with APWA chapters. The feasibility of developing a “Public Service Gift Annuity” program could also be explored, whereby taxdeductible gifts are given to APWA, and the donor receives monthly annuity income for life. A portion of the income might be used to pay the premium on a life insurance policy, so the donor’s estate receives something, in lieu of the gift to APWA, when he dies. Innovative concepts, such as this, can generate funds needed to support the advancement of the public works profession in the United States, Canada, and around the world.

I believe that God is the personification of the perfect human being. That each of us has the opportunity to express the will of God, as it is revealed to us, by what we do with our lives. Viewing APWA’s history from this perspective, I consider myself most fortunate to be part of a generation that helped plant the seeds for the growth and development of this progressive public service organization. It has been a rewarding experience for my wife, Pat, and I to be associated with so many men and women dedicated to making life better for everyone. One’s vision of the future may be uncertain, to say the least. However, with faith, hope and courage, the future can be filled with peace, liberty and justice, as well as prosperity and happiness for an increasing proportion of many generations to come.

Robert D. Bugher can be reached at rdbugher@cox.net.