A history of ASA standards

The Acoustical Society of America's involvement in and support of standards development work, both national and international, is perhaps its major outward-facing program, serving the needs of government, industry, and academia, as well as the needs of its members. Since its inception, the Acoustical Society of America has included the development of acoustical standards as one of the main elements of its mission. The standards published by ASA provide a trusted source of technical information to people both within and outside of ASA's membership. This article recounts the historical development of the ASA Standards Program and provides background information on key developments that have shaped its course, and influenced the direction of the Society itself.