Standardization News

ASTM Treasure(r) Maraget "Marge" Cassidy to Retire

"I have seen ASTM change enormously," says Margaret Cassidy, known as Marge to ASTM staff and members, as well as to many in the communities surrounding ASTM headquarters. Marge will retire as ASTM's treasurer at the end of January.

It was 1965 - 50 years ago and the Beatles were still making kids scream - when Marge first walked through the doors of ASTM's Philadelphia headquarters. She had been hired as a clerk typist and general clerk in the sales service department.

From such early assignments, Marge has moved through many roles at ASTM, from accounting clerk to controller and eventually to treasurer. She is the first staff person in ASTM's 117-year history to celebrate a half-century of service.

Marge remembers that her early job assignments included proofing manual invoices, mailing them and filing two copies. Since that time, Marge estimates she has seen ASTM's accounting department work through "four or five" generations of computer systems.

"What we do now, we couldn't have even imagined then," says Marge. "I can't tell you how long things took!"

Marge hasn't merely observed the changes in workplace systems at ASTM. During her early decades here, Marge noticed how the ASTM galaxy of technical committees began to expand to include service- and consumer-oriented committees, as well as those for traditional material standards. Throughout Marge's tenure at ASTM, she feels the organization has continued to rise to the challenges of this era.

She has met thousands of ASTM members, many of whom dramatically shaped their industries (Ivan Johnson, Wayne Ellis, Hank Roux and Nancy Trahey, among others).

"It has been a privilege to work with and learn from these world-renowned experts," says Marge.

A lifetime of service to ASTM has not dimmed Marge's enthusiasm one bit. Spending even a short time speaking with Marge leads to a wide-ranging conversation. She enjoys contemplating the history of ASTM, particularly as it is intertwined with the history of Philadelphia, the city of ASTM's founding. Marge continues to be inspired by ASTM's consensus process and says that ASTM "cannot forget its history."

Thinking of her own role in ASTM's history, Marge notes that, as treasurer, she has been "telling ASTM's story with numbers." As a nonprofit, ASTM should serve society and Marge believes that the numbers help tell that tale.

But the story, and Marge's role in it, is bigger than just numbers. Since ASTM moved its headquarters to West Conshohocken in 1995 - a move in which she played a key role - Marge has been a leading light in establishing and maintaining ties to many community organizations. These include local schools, libraries, fire departments and more. Marge has been instrumental in finding ways for ASTM to serve its surrounding community.

Her efforts have allowed the people who live in ASTM's neighborhood to get to know ASTM better, as well as giving ASTM staff members a chance to better know the community in which they work. Community members and ASTM staff alike have gained much from Marge's sense of commitment.

For the time being, Marge is keeping her post-retirement plans simple: "I plan to never get on the Pennsylvania Turnpike during rush hour." Those of us who still travel the turnpike, and the other roads leading to West Conshohocken, will miss Marge as she actively pursues retirement, but we'll do our best to carry forward her sense of engagement and enthusiasm in ASTM International.