“The Only Constant is Change”

“The only constant is change.” -- Heraclitus

On July 1, 1968, a new international nonprofit was created, IREX (the International Research & Exchanges Board). As we prepared to celebrate Founders’ Day this year, we reviewed some archival materials recently sent by the organization’s first President, Allen Kassof. The Communications team and I enjoyed going through the old photos, comparing IREX then to the IREX we know now.

The impact of technology was notable. Card catalogs—fast becoming a memory in many places—were replaced by computers. Boxy computer monitors eventually became flat screens. And who back then could have anticipated the global boom in mobile devices? But through all of the changes that have occurred in IREX’s 43 years, from the profound (the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin Wall) to the humorous (nobody smokes a pipe during meetings anymore), one thing has remained the same, our organization’s unwavering commitment to make a better world.