About the Boston Section
Welcome to the home site for the Boston Section of the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers, one of the largest and most active sections in
the entire professional society. This section covers one of the most
innovative and varied regions of the US. The following text gives you
just a snapshot of who we are.
The Boston Area
This section covers eastern Massachusetts, out roughly to Route I495 to
the west. It envelops the entire Boston metropolitan area, plus the
Cape and Islands, and includes the major industrial-technological
centers of Boston-Cambridge, Lowell-Lawrence, Framingham,
Bedford-Burlington, Waltham-Newton, and Fall River-New Bedford.
Industrial Roots
Technology development in this region began early in colonial times.
The first man made canal was dug between the Charles River in Dedham
and Mother Brook in West Roxbury (Boston) to provide a faster
navigation route to the ocean, and powered some of the first gristmills
and sawmills. The Saugus Ironworks, an ASME National Historic Site, and
a National Historic Park, represents early metal working facilities in
the US. Textile mills began in Waltham, MA along the Charles River,
then, when looking for more hydropower, moved to Lowell and Lawrence to
tame the Merrimack River. The first telephone conversation happened in
Boston between Bell and his assistant, Watson.
Today, at the Hub of Technological Innovation, "Yankee ingenuity" is
still at the base of the technological innovation seen here, today.
This area is home to many innovative companies and development centers.
This area is also home to more colleges and university per square mile
than anywhere else in the United States. Many of these universities
have internationally recognized mechanical engineering programs,
including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Tufts,
Boston University, University of Massachusetts at Lowell, and
Northeastern University. Most of these universities have
ASME student sections.