KAUTC

The next meeting was held on February 14, 1972, in Room 107 of the Municipal Auditorium, Topeka, Kansas, for the purpose of reviewing and collecting questions to be forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration for interpretation. This meeting was attended by approximately 20 individuals from various units and levels of government in Kansas.

 

It was during these early meetings that the suggestion of formalizing into an organization with a constitution and bylaws was made. During the December 6, 1972 meeting, proposed by-laws were handed out to those in attendance to review and suggest modifications to be discussed at the February 7, 1973, meeting in Overland Park, Kansas.

 

We referred to ourselves as the "Urban Area Traffic Engineer" organization in the early days. Our primary purpose was to promote uniformity among traffic engineers in the State of Kansas. We invited officials from smaller cities to attend our meetings and become a part of the organization. On February 7, 1973, in Overland Park, Kansas, the proposed constitution was reviewed and the final version was unanimously adopted. The new constitution was sufficiently general and flexible to allow wide latitude in interpretation.

 

A formal name was chosen at the same meeting. All quickly agreed that the words "Kansas", "traffic", and "association" form the nucleus of the name. "Engineering" was avoided so as not to shun non-engineers, many of which the group was trying to attract. The name Kansas Association for Uniform Traffic Control, (KAUTC), while not forming any convenient acronym was thought to be most appropriate and was unanimously approved.

 

John Rothrock was elected to act as chairman of a five-man constitution committee charged with distributing the constitution for ratification. Other members on the committee were David Wigglesworth, Bill Wilson, Fred Terry and Charles Green.

 

The constitution was ratified by KAUTC members attending the 1973 Annual MOVITE (Missouri Valley Section - Institute of Transportation Engineers) meeting in Topeka on March 29, 1973. The constitution committee was elected to serve as an interim Board of Directors from April 1, 1973, until June 30, 1973.

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The organization KAUTC became a reality on March 29, 1973. This was the realization of a dream for many that had worked long and hard for such an association for the State of Kansas. The officers for the first year of the organization, July 1, 1973 thru June 30, 1974, were elected in Salina on August 1, 1973. The elected were John Rothrock, President; Bill Wilson, Vice-President; Garry Metcalf Secretary-Treasurer; Bill McKinley, Membership Chairman; and Charles Green, Program Chairman. At the end of the meeting, KAUTC had seventeen dues-paying members for the 1973-74 year.

 

From the start of the dream in January 1972, until July 1, 1973, an organization had developed into an association with its objectives as detailed in Article H of the Constitution.