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Order of the Engineer
Order of the Engineer

About the Order

The Order of the Engineer was initiated in the United States to foster a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, to bridge the gap between training and experience, and to present to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer. The first ceremony was held on June 4, 1970 at Cleveland State University.

The Order is not a membership organization; there are never any meetings to attend or dues to pay. Instead, the Order fosters a unity of purpose and the honoring of one’s pledge lifelong. The Engineer’s Ring in the United States is a stainless steel ring, worn on the fifth finger of the working hand by engineers who have accepted the Obligation of an Engineer in a Ring Ceremony.

A Ring Ceremony of the Order of the Engineer is held each year during the TSPE Conference & Annual Meeting. In addition, several past presidents of TSPE are available to conduct ceremonies at local chapter meetings and other gatherings.

For more information about ceremonies, contact the TSPE State Office at (512) 472-9286 or info@tspe.org.

Visit the Order of the Engineer website for more information about the Order.

The Ring Ceremony held at the 2023 TSPE Conference in Arlington, TX.

"I am an Engineer. In my profession I take deep pride. To it I owe solemn obligations. As an Engineer, I pledge to practice integrity and fair dealing, tolerance and respect; and to uphold devotion to the standards and the dignity of my profession, conscious always that my skill carries with it the obligation to serve humanity by making the best use of the Earth’s precious wealth. As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give my utmost.”

"I, in the presence of these my betteres and my equals in my Calling, bind myself upon my Honour and Cold Iron, that, to the best of my knowledge and power, I will not henceforward suffer or pass, or be privy to the passing of, Bad Workmanship or Faulty Material in aught that concerns my works before mankind as an Engineer, or in my dealings with my own Soul before my Maker. MY TIME I will not refuse; my Thought I will not grudge; my Care I will not deny towards the honour, use, stability, and perfection of any works to which I may be called to set my hand. MY FAIR WAGES for that work I will openly take. My Reputation in my Calling I will honourably guard; but I will in no way go about to compass or wrest judgement or gratification from any one with whom I may deal. And further, I will early and warily strive my uttermost against professional jealousy or the belittling of my working-colleagues in any field of their labour. FOR MY ASSURED FAILURES and derelictions, I ask pardon beforehand of my betters and my equals in my Calling here assembled; praying that in the hour of my temptations, weakness and weariness, the memory of this my Obligation and the company before whom it was entered into, may return to me to aid, comfort, and restrain."

Written by author Rudyard Kipling in 1922.