 The Gulf South Precast/Prestressed
Concrete Association (GSPCA) has always been, in a very
real sense, a product of the times. Its establishment was
the culmination of a series of developments that could
have had no other result than the creation of an
association for the express purpose of ensuring the
orderly development of a new construction material.It is generally conceded that the practical
application of this new material, prestressed concrete,
began in the early 1950's, even though the theory was
developed much earlier. The GSPCA was officially
incorporated in November 1961.
The first association that was formed was the
Florida Prestressed Concrete Association and was
spearheaded by Harry Edwards of LEAP Associates. It was
from this group that Prestressed Concrete Institute (PCI) was created. The first executive director
of PCI was Col. Martin Korn.
It was the constant urging from Col. Korn and
Harry Edwards that convinced us that a regional
association was the way to develop our industry and to
expand the effectiveness of PCI. In the summer of 1961,
phone calls were made to the producing prestressed plants
in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, and
all agreed that we should form an association comprising
the three-state area.
There were two preliminary meetings held in
Jackson, Mississippi, to discuss the formation of the
association. The official organizational meeting was held
November 8, 1961, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
In the early years of PCI, local members were
responsible for a big part of making arrangements for the
annual PCI convention, such as physical facilities as
well as a good part of the program. The convention in
1962 was held in New Orleans, so it became our
respnsibility to make such arrangements and planning.
The year 1963 was a very busy and formative
year in the life of GSPCA. Meetings were held and
committees formed to work on different aspects and
different interests of members. Another event that
happened in 1963 was the instigating of the annual
meeting involving the entire family. This first meeting
was held in Pensacola, Florida, on June 21, 1963.
It was, and still is, important that GSPCA
maintain a very close working relationship with PCI. In
this regard, most of our company members are also members
of PCI and have played a very important role in the
operation of PCI.
Three GSPCA members have served as chairman
of PCI: Charles Scott and Harry Harvey, both of Southern
Prestressed Inc., Pensacola, Florida, and Q.D. Spruill,
Gulf Coast Pre-Stress Inc., Pass Christian, Mississippi.
There have been at least eleven members that have served on
the board of directors of PCI, some of which are Rex Hartup, Walter Babich, Harold Naylor, Carrol Clark, Don
Payne, George Southworth, Mott Pevey Jr., Jerry Sellers,
John Bass, Q.D. Spruill, and Michael Boykin.
Some of the ways in which we have promoted
prestressed concrete as an association are in the use of
seminars. We have sponsored PCI Handbook and Parking Deck
seminars.
Members of GSPCA also give individual
lectures at the various engineering schools in our
tri-state area and PCI Handbooks are given to the
engineering libraries, as well as to many of the
students.
Now in its 39th year, GSPCA still has the
same goals and aspirations. It has been a part of the
growing up of an industry that has taken its rightful
place in the construction industry and GSPCA is proud of
the part it has played.
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