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National Funeral Directors & Morticians Association, Inc. Fairmont Hotel, Dallas, Texas — August 7-13, 1973 "A PEOPLE'S MEMORY IS HISTORY: AND AS A MAN WITHOUT A MEMORY, SO A PEOPLE WITHOUT A HISTORY CAN NOT GROW WISER, BETTER." The same is true of an organization which involves human action...action by men who make history. Although history is past, over the years it has been found that many old events have modern meanings. With respect to history, people live in the present—hope and work for the future. Thus, it has been and it is with our organization. It has been nearly forty-one years ago when our organization had its beginning as the Independent National Directors Association in Chicago, Illinois. This group became an official plenary body in May, 1925. [[image - black & white phptpgraph of Leon Harrison]] After the merging of other such organizations throughout the United States, the changing of names, and other constitutional amendments, we now have this Great Association. Thus, in 1957, the present National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association was incorporated under the Laws of State of Illinois. With unity in efforts, numerically and geographically, the Independent National Funeral Directors Association attracted the attention of the United States Government. Our organization from that time, became the official representative body of the Funeral Directors; and so recognized by the United States Department of Commerce. The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc. has an outstanding professional trade body with National Status. The membership represents over three thousand progressive morticians and embalmers. Through the years, these men and women have raised the standards of the mortuary profession. Many of the licensed memberships of this great Association includes individuals who are also widely known and recognized as lawyers, bankers, businessmen, casket manufacturers, Clergymen, Civic, State and Federal Representatives. Members are serving on various State Boards of Examiners, and we are represented by one President of a State Board of Examiners. While we read history, we are making history. While we are pleased to have people recall our past, we are concerned with poeple knowing what we are doing today while we are making history. The objects and purposes of this National Association are: To maintain a membership of licensed morticions, Funeral Directors and Embalmers in the United States, its territories and dependencies; to cultivate and promote the art and science of funeral directing and embalming; to elevate and sustain the professional character and education of funeral directors and embalmers; to promote further ethical practices; to encourage mutual improvement, social intercourse and good will; to enlighten public opinion in relation to funeral service and to the necessity and desirability of enacting and enforcing proper, just and uniform laws pertaining to funeral directing and embalming in the several states and territories; to hold conventions to assist its members in their problems, local, district and state, to encourage buying from merchants and representatives of commodities that will advance business; to enact rules and regulations for its members which will improve the profession of funeral directing and embalming, aid its members and promote the association; to establish and supervise local, district and state associations; to acquire property for purposes for which this corporation was organized, by purchase deed, gift, devise, bequest or otherwise, and to hold and administer the same; to publish reports, treaties, and collectively, to represent and safeguard the common interest of its members and to foster among them high professional ideals of public service. 194