The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many Canadian engineers as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession. The ring is presented in a private ceremony known as the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. Qualification for the obligation ceremony is either completion of a CEAB accredited engineering program or meeting the academic standard for licensure with a provincial engineering regulator. The concept of the ritual and the rings originated from H. E. T. Haultain in 1922, with assistance from Rudyard Kipling, who crafted the ritual at Haultain's request.

Symbolism

The ring symbolizes the pride engineers have in their profession, while simultaneously reminding them of their humility. The ring serves as a reminder to the engineer and others of the engineer's obligation to live by a high standard of professional conduct. However, the ring is not a symbol of qualification as an engineer; engineering qualifications are determined by provincial and territorial licensing bodies.

History

thumb|upright|The first ring ceremony was held under the supervision of [[H. E. T. Haultain in 1925.]]

The Iron Ring originated from H. E. T. Haultain, a mining engineering professor at the University of Toronto. On 25 January 1922, Haultain proposed that engineers take an ethical oath. From 1922 to 1925, the structure that would administer the oaths, or "callings," was known as the Corporation of the Seven Wardens. The organization was named in honour of the first seven presidents of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineers.

The text of the calling was written by English poet Rudyard Kipling, at the request of Haultain. Haultain asked Kipling to author the calling partly because of Kipling's poem The Sons of Martha, which paid tribute to an engineer. Kipling's calling sought to emphasize the responsibilities of an engineer, affirming their responsibility to "not henceforward suffer or pass, or be privy to the passing of, Bad Workmanship or Faulty Material." Kipling's calling also affirmed that an engineer must not compromise their work, in spite of external pressures; and was a call for professional unity between engineers.

On the 25 April 1925, Haultain administered the first Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer in the University Club in Montreal. However, the initial batch of Iron Rings were actually produced by World War I veterans at Christie Street Military Hospital in Toronto.

The Wardens originally considered expanding the ritual to the United States. However, they later ruled against expansion, fearing a loss of control over the ritual. Efforts to secure control of the ritual were made in 1935, when the obligation was copyrighted, and the Corporation of the Seven Wardens formally incorporated in 1938.

Design

thumb|The Iron Ring is designed with facets on the ring's outer surface.

The Iron Ring is made from either iron or stainless steel. It is intended to be worn on the little finger of the working (dominant) hand. was founded in 1970. The organization conducts similar ring ceremonies at a number of U.S. colleges, in which the recipient signs an "Obligation of the Engineer" and receives a stainless steel Engineer's Ring (which, unlike the Canadian Iron Ring, can be smooth and not faceted). The first such ceremony occurred on June 4, 1970, at the Cleveland State University under the supervision of Lloyd Chancy.

The NTH Ring is a ring awarded by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, formerly Norwegian Institute of Technology (NTH), to graduates of their Masters of Science in architecture or engineering programs.

See also

  • List of engineering awards
  • Engineering traditions in Canada
  • Engineer's Ring
  • Hippocratic Oath
  • Iron Ring Clock
  • Pinky ring

References

Further reading

  • Henry Petroski, "To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure" Cambridge, Massachusetts: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2012, . Chapter 8: "The obligation of an engineer", p. 175-198.
  • The Iron Ring