Association of Information Technology Professionals

The Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) is a professional association that focuses on information technology education for business professionals. The group is a non-profit US-oriented group, but its activities are performed by 62 local chapters organized on a geographic basis, and 286 student chapters at college and universities.

The group was first organized in Chicago, United States, in 1949, as the National Machine Accountants Association (NMAA). The State of Illinois granted the NMAA a charter on December 26, 1951. It soon had over 20 chapters. Harvey W. Protzel, systems manager for Protzel's Company, was elected the first International President at the 1952 First Annual Convention in Minneapolis. In 1962, it adopted the more inclusive name, Data Processing Management Association (DPMA), and in 1996, the present name.

The Association began its certification program with the Certificate in Data Processing (CDP) professional examination, first held in 1962 in New York City. In 1970, it added the Registered Business Programmer (RBP) examination. In 1974, the Association joined in establishing the Institute for the Certification of Computer Professionals (ICCP) to administer the examination program and stimulate industry acceptance of the examinations. The certification is now called Certified Computing Professional (CCP).

In 1969, the Association created the annual DPMA Man of the Year Award, awarding it (incongruously, given its name) to Dr. Grace Murray Hopper. After Dr. Ruth Davis of the US National Bureau of Standards won the 1979 award, it was renamed the Distinguished Information Sciences Award.

The Association requires its members to abide by a code of ethics that has been in place for decades, predating both the HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. The Association also requires members to operate by a "Standards of Conduct" for IT Professionals, which adds specifics.

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