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A tribute to a promise

  • A turn-of-the-century engraving illustrates the composition roofing process.
  • The Dayton, Ohio, shop of Wetzel and Schriber (later Schriber Roofing Co.), founded in 1907. Hyman Schriber was a coppersmith from Latvia before coming to America.
  • H.W. Johns-Manville Co.'s roofing manual, copyright 1903, describes roof components and proper application procedures.
  • Charles Kirberg of St. Louis (now Kirberg Co.) poses proudly with his son in front of his new Model T Ford pickup circa 1923.
  • An example of "Barrett-approved roofers" in 1916. Barrett placed a great deal of emphasis on good workmanship.
  • Attendees at the 1938 URCA convention in St. Louis look calm despite the fact the association had, organizationally speaking, hit rock bottom. One executive secretary was fired and another hired during the meeting.
  • NRCA's board of directors meets at the Sherman Hotel in Chicago in 1952. Board members were paying $6 a night for a single room; $18 or more for suites.
  • Eero Saarinen designed the first building to use a single-ply roof: the Ingalls Ice Arena at Yale University, affectionately known as "The Yale Whale."
  • Contractors and guests pose during the annual banquet at the 1963 NRCA convention.
  • The Pentagon following 9/11. NRCA and its members reroofed the damaged portion.
  • Photovoltaic roof systems emerge during the 2000s.



This year, NRCA celebrates its 125th annual convention and its promise to the industry: to work tirelessly for all roofing professionals. To pay tribute to the event, Professional Roofing has compiled a chronology of some of the most important roofing industry events during the past 125 years. The photos have been selected from NRCA's recently published history of the roofing industry, One Hundred Twenty-five Years of Roofing in America.




1886 – 1911

1886: The Gravel Roofers Protective Association, a precursor to NRCA, forms in Chicago. Moses W. Powell is named president.







1887: The Gravel Roofers Protective Association holds its first annual meeting.




1890: The Gravel Roofers Protective Association renames itself the National Association of Master Composition Roofers to broaden its appeal outside the Midwest.











1911 – 1936




1916: The National Board of Fire Underwriters bans wood shingles, paving the way for the creation of asphalt shingles. The Associated Roofers of America is formed by East Coast contractors to rival the Midwestern-based National Association of Master Composition Roofers.

















1921: The Associated Roofers of America and National Association of Master Composition Roofers recognize the need to unify their efforts and merge to form the United Roofing Contractors Association of North America (URCA).







1936: URCA faces bankruptcy. Tom Daly, Joseph A. Piper, Irv Langer, John Hession and J. Boyd Griffiths each contribute $200 to keep the association afloat.




1936 – 1961




1945-47: A self-contained machine for laying felt is invented—the Benmore Slag Scraper and Sweeper.










1948: The J.A. Piper Award is established.




1949: URCA changes its name to the National Roofing Contractors Association to become a truly national organization and give the association more prestige in the construction industry.







1957: An early single-ply roof system is installed on Yale University's Ingalls Ice Arena in New Haven, Conn.




1961 – 1986




1969: NRCA publishes the first edition of The NRCA Roofing and Waterproofing Manual.










1970: President Nixon signs the Occupational Safety and Health Act, creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.




1978: Asbestos, a common roofing material, is recognized as a carcinogen.







1986: NRCA celebrates its centennial.




1986 – 2011




1989: NRCA opens its Washington, D.C., office.











1995: NRCA sues the Occupational Safety and Health Administration over asbestos regulations and reaches a satisfactory settlement.




2001: The roofing industry volunteers to reroof the Pentagon following the Sept. 11 attacks.









2004: NRCA sells its trade show to Hanley Wood LLC.




2011: Former NRCA President Reid Ribble is elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.





Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Profes­sional Roofing and NRCA's senior director of communications.

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