ABO/NCLE history

[OPTIDONN]

I was looking through Joseph Brunneni's book LOOKING BACK and did not see a reference at all to the ABO/NCLE. What is the history behind the organization? Who got it going? What came first the ABO or NCLE? Was there always the title of Master Optician? What was the feeling of opticians when these certifications came into being? Just curious.

[Darryl Meister]

According to Stimson, it was originally founded in 1946. (My impression was that it was formed by the same group of folks who formed the early Guild of Prescription Opticians of America, founded in 1926, which eventually became the OAA.) Originally, eligibility for taking the examination required either five years of experience or graduation from an accredited opticianry school. As far as I know, the Master certification has been around since the early days of the ABO. And the NCLE undoubtedly followed later. And I should add that the early ABO organization was founded before the National Academy of Opticianry.

[chip anderson]

You forgot to mention "The Worshipful Society of Spectacle Makers"


Chip

[Darryl Meister]

Sounds British...