International Electrical Congress

The International Electrical Congress was a series of international meetings, from 1881 to 1904, in the then new field of applied electricity. The first meeting was initiated by the French government, including official national representatives, leading scientists, and others. Subsequent meetings also included official representatives, leading scientists, and others. Primary aims were to develop reliable standards, both in relation to electrical units and electrical apparatus.

In 1881, both within and across countries, different electrical units were being used. There were at least 12 different units of electromotive force, 10 different units of electric current and 15 different units of resistance.

A number of international Congresses were held, and sometimes referred to as International Electrical Congress, Electrical Conference, and similar variations. Secondary sources make different judgments about how to classify the Congresses. In this article, the Congresses with representatives from national governments are identified as International Electrical Congress. Other Congresses — often addressing the same issues — are identified here as Concurrent Related International Electrical Congresses. Some of these related conferences were devoted to preparing for an International Electrical Congress.

In 1906 the International Electrotechnical Commission was created. Congresses were organised under its auspices were also sometimes referred to as International Electrical Congress. In this article, Congresses organized by the Commission are listed under International Electrotechnical Congresses, while other related Congresses are listed under Related International Electrotechnical Conferences.

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Held from 15 September-5 October 1881, in connection with the International Exposition of Electricity. Adolphe Cochery, Minister of Posts and Telegraphs of the French Government, was the Chairman. At the Congress, William Thomson (United Kingdom), Hermann von Helmholtz (Germany), and Gilbert Govi [it] (Italy) were elected as foreign vice-presidents. About 200-250 persons participated, and a proceedings was published in 1882. Notable participants included: Helmholtz, Clausius, Kirchhoff, Werner Siemens, Ernst Mach, Rayleigh, and Lenz, among others.

The three main topics for the Congress were: electrical units, improvements in international telegraphy, and various applications of electricity. The Congress resolved to endorse the 1873 British Association for the Advancement of Science proposal for defining the ohm and the volt as practical units, and also made resolutions to define ampere, coulomb and farad, as units for current, quantity, and capacity respectively, to complete the practical system. It also resolved that an international committee should conduct new tests to determine the length of the column of mercury for measuring the ohm.

Held from 21 to 25 August, in connection with the World's Columbian Exposition, with almost 500 participants. Elisha Gray was the Congress president. A proceedings was published.