IFAC Presidents over the years - The International Federation of Automatic Control

IFAC Presidents over the years

Explore the history of IFAC Presidents and their contributions to the Federation over the years.

Dimitri Peaucelle IFAC Secretariat · Updated 30 September 2026

History of IFAC

The first International Conference on Automatic Control was held at the University of Heidelberg from 25 to 29 September 1956. The conference was called “Regelungstechnik – Moderne Theorien und ihre Verwendbarkeit” (Control Engineering – Modern Theories and their Application) and was organized by the German VDI/VDE-Fachgruppe Regelungstechnik founded in 1938. At that conference 30 participants signed a declaration in which the need to create an international organization of automatic control was clearly defined. The signatories pledged to promote the formation of national organizations, if not already existing at that time. At the end of the Heidelberg Conference a Provisional Committee was established under the chairmanship of Victor Broida (France) to draft a constitution for the planned International Federation of Automatic Control.

On September 12, 1957, the First General Assembly convened at the constituent meeting in Paris. Delegates from 18 countries representing their national organizations assembled at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers under the chairmanship of Victor Broida. They voted on the Constitution and By-Laws; they elected the first President, Harold Chestnut, as well as the members of the Executive Council; and they appointed committee chairmen.