A Front-Row Seat to 125 Years of Electrical History
As I reflect on the last 25 years at EC&M, it’s hard to believe how quickly time has passed. Unveiling our special 125th anniversary edition this month, I am so proud of our brand and the work the EC&M editorial team put in to produce this stellar issue. What a privilege it has been to cover such a fascinating industry and cross paths with so many talented people — from our readers and industry experts to electrical contractors, engineers, manufacturers, distributors, and countless others who make this industry what it is. One of the best parts of my job is the fact that I get to learn something new every single day, thanks to an industry that’s constantly evolving.
Speaking of evolution, check out the vintage photo galleries featured on our website to start our anniversary celebration out in style. Editor Michael Morris combed through the archives to create an incredible lineup of vintage photos that celebrate our magazine’s rich history and enduring legacy. Check out his picks from “The First 25 Years” and “The Past 25 Years.” Read "What's in a Name?" for a lesson in EC&M’s name changes since its inception. We’ve also updated the historical timeline from our 2001 centennial issue to include the past 25 years. Our cover story explores five defining milestones that reshaped the electrical industry from 2001 to 2026. I wrote the decade-by-decade summaries for our 100-year retrospective in 2001, so I thought outlining the last 25 years would be a piece of cake. I was certainly wrong — the electrical industry of today looks drastically different from the one EC&M was covering at the turn of the century, so take a look at “A Quarter-Century of Electrical Transformations.” NEC Expert Paul Abernathy’s piece on “25 Years of NEC Changes Through My Eyes” is a phenomenal look back at the most impactful NEC changes that transformed electrical work. But probably my favorite component of this special edition is the tribute to electrical contracting and design firms that have been powering their communities since 1901 or earlier put together by Managing Editor Ellie Coggins Angus. The company profiles of these industry trailblazers are a testament to the legacy of the people who founded this industry.
To close out this anniversary dedication, I couldn’t help but share one of my favorite finds from the EC&M archives. In a 1986 “Letter to the Editor,” one of our readers, John J. Wilson, Jr., of John Wilson Industrial Services, Clearfield, Pa., most likely introduced us to one of EC&M’s youngest fans. “As a longtime subscriber to EC&M, I view the arrival of each issue with pleasure. However, I now have to wait my turn to read your magazine,” he wrote. “My three-year-old son Jerry, an avid EC&M fan and possibly your youngest ‘reader,’ is first. He grabs the magazine as soon as it comes into the house and begins by looking at the ads. He is able to identify pictures of safety switches, transformers, conduit, wire, fuses, motor starters and various tools.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about that photo fondly over the years and wondered if that little boy ever became an electrical professional. Even if he didn’t, he certainly had good taste.
