In February of 1990, the balloting process for the IEEE proposed standard P1149.1 was completed creating IEEE Std 1149.1-1990. Later that summer, in record time, the standard won ratification as an ANSI standard as well. This completed over six years of intensive cooperative effort by a diverse group of people who share a vision on solving some of the severe testing problems that exist now and are steadily getting worse. Early in this process, someone asked me if 1 thought that the P1l49.l effort would ever bear fruit. 1 responded somewhat glibly that it was anyone’s guess . Well, it wasn’t anyone’s guess, but rather the faith of a few individuals in the proposition that many testing problems could be solved if a multifaceted industry could agree on a standard for all to follow. Four of these individuals stand out; they are Harry Bleeker, Colin Maunder, Rodham Tulloss, and Lee Whetsel. In that I am convinced that the 1149.1 standard is the most significant testing development in the last 20 years, I personally feel a debt of gratitude to them and all the people who labored on the various Working Groups in its creation.