On September 25, 1976, ASCE's Board of Direction formally approved a substantive revision of the Society's Code of Ethics. Not only did this newly amended code significantly alter the language and structure of the ethics provisions; it also reflected a sweeping change in the philosophy underlying ASCE's ethical strictures and in the role of written guidelines in governing the practice of civil engineering. The development of the 1976 Code of Ethics, whose canons remain largely unchanged in the code as it exists today, is reviewed. BACKGROUND: ASCE's first Code of Ethics, adopted in 1914, served much like a statement of business etiquette for practicing engineers. The six original provisions of the code, together with four adopted later, focused on conduct relating to competition for professional work and dealt with such issues as advertising language, statements having to do with other engineers or their work, and various types of fee arrangements.
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