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Society old-timers were saddened to learn of the recent passing of Erskine Harton. For those not familiar with the special contributions Erskine has made to the Society, this note is meant to convey a little of what his dedication, initiative and helpful spirit has added to the International System Safety Society. Erskine was an early disciple of system safety in government-funded programs, active in the DC Chapter, elected a Fellow Member and served as Society President from 1987 to 1989. He is best remembered, by those of us who worked with him, for his upbeat attitude and readiness to help out — especially with those setting up new chapters. However, it was his role in the establishment of a permanent headquarters for the Society that Erskine best deserves recognition as a Hero of the ISSS.

As the membership of the International System Safety Society began to include those living outside of the Greater Los Angeles area, it became evident that there was a need for chapters in order to provide a more direct interaction of individuals attempting to understand and implement the nebulous field of system safety. As previously noted, nearly all the charter and earliest subsequent members of the Society were associated with the Southern California Aerospace/Air Force complex. During the first few years, there was little thought given to the need for chapters, since most members lived in the L.A. area and could attend the annual Society dinner meetings. As time went on, the need to find qualified individuals to respond to the contractual requirements of MILS- 38130 and other system safety requirements challenged contractors elsewhere. At the same time, the surge by governmental agencies to initiate system safety practices accelerated. This need led to the recruitment of many of the early system safety practitioners for key positions in other locations, especially in the DC and other Northeast locations. This altered the demographics of Society membership, and enthused the desire for local chapters.