History The Houston Post was founded in 1948 and celebrated 50 years as a Post in 1998. In 1998, as part of the Post’s 50-year celebration, we changed our official name to the Houston/Galveston Post, solidifying our ties with the Galveston District, USACE. Posts are the designation SAME gives their Chapters because the first ones were located on Army Posts. Since 1994 the Houston/Galveston Post has been highly active and is one of, if not the fastest growing post in the Society. The success and growth of the Houston/Galveston Post is attributable to the support of the Sustaining Members, enthusiasm of Individual Members and most importantly the involvement of its Public Agency Members such as the City of Houston Department of Public Works, Harris County Engineering Department, Harris County Flood Control District, the Port of Houston, Harris County Precinct 4, Harris County Precinct 3, Coastal Water Authority, and North Harris County Regional Water Authority. In 2021 the Houston Department of Public Works was the first Public Agency member to celebrate 25 years of continuous membership. Houston’s military bases consist of a US Coast Guard Marine Safety Office with the Port of Houston and the US Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District is located on Galveston Island. There is also a US Coast Guard Air Station at Ellington Field, a US Coast Guard Station in Galveston adjacent to the Galveston District, and US Army Reserve, US Navy Reserve and US Marine Reserve all located at Ellington Field. Houston is home for many large, medium and small architecture, engineering and related firms that make up our Sustaining Members. The leaders and committee workers strive to support the goals of the Society and to make the Houston/Galveston Post one of the most successful in the Society. The Post has become the most active engineering Society in Houston, which attracts new members. The following achievements are noteworthy:  

ACHIEVEMENTS

 Current Strength, more than 500 members. 

 More than 90 Corporate Sustaining Members. 

 8 Public Agency Sustaining Members. 

 Young Members: more than 55. 

 Steady growth over the last five years, both Individual Members and Corporate and Public Agency Sustaining Members.

  Active Committee Members, Officers & Directors: more than 60. 

 Active participating former Post Presidents & Fellows: more than 25. 

 Number of Fellows: more than 20.

  Gold Post Award (Top post in the Society): 2 ( 1997, 1998). 

 Top Large Post: 2 (2015 & 2018) 

 Distinguished Post awards received every year since 1990

 The Houston Post sponsors a Student Post, the Texas A&M University Student Post, (Distinguished Student Post Award received 14 times).  

 The Post distributes in excess of $20,000.00 annually for scholarships to students in the Greater Houston area and to our TAMU Student Chapter members.  

 Major accomplishments of selected members: LTC (Ret) Wendell “Buddy” Barnes is a recipient of the Society Gold Medal, Wheeler Medal, Goethals Medal, Post Service Medal, President’s Medal is a Distinguished Fellow, mentors the Texas A & M University Student Chapter and was the 100th National SAME President. LTC (Ret) Ken Haveman, A Houston Post member until 1997, is a recipient of the Gold Medal, President’s Medal, former National Director and a past post president a Former National Vice-President, a Fellow & Life Member of the Society. Mr. Wade H. Cockburn is a recipient of the President’s Medal winner, a Former National Vice-President, a Fellow and Life Member of the Society, former National Director, past post president, TEXOMA Regional Young Members Chairman and mentored the Texas A&M University Student Chapter.

  Our Past Presidents and Fellows are all highly active participants in Post activities. The leaders and members of the Houston Post were excited about hosting the 1999 SAME National Training Conference in Houston following their 50th year in the Society and Hosted the 2015 Joint Engineering & Training Conference.  

 The Houston Post meets monthly, with most meetings being luncheons. The January meeting is the Installation of Officers & Member Awards Banquet, and the June meeting is the Public Agency Awards Banquet; both held in the evening.