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In 1938, the term
networking had not been coined, but a pioneer
drilling equipment inventor named Elmer Decker recognized the need
for it. Sales trips by U.S. oilfield equipment
representatives-including Decker-to other countries were becoming
necessary. Few people knew what to expect outside the U.S. when it
came to transportation, lodging and food. Even fewer were around
to advise the novice.
Consequently, Decker and
a few co-founders conceived the idea of NOMADS. It was to be an
organization in which those who had been overseas could share
their knowledge and business experiences with others. A second
objective would be to assist oil industry visitors from other
countries when they came to the U.S.
The first chapter was
born that year in Los Angeles, and the NOMADS name was selected
since the founders felt that it was descriptive of the lifestyle
of the international salesman. The expanded title, National
Oil-Equipment Manufacturers and Delegates Society, was
adopted later to fit the original acronym.
The founders suggested
to friends and business acquaintances in Houston, Dallas/Fort
Worth, Tulsa/Oklahoma City and New York that they start chapters.
During the fall of 1939, Houston became the site of the second
NOMADS chapter after a small group of distinguished oilmen visited
with Decker at an oil show there. What began over 60 years ago as
a small group has grown into a dynamic organization of over
1000 businessmen who have become recognized as ambassadors of good
will, not only for their own industry, but for their country as
well.
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