b'Ln1.r~spected"job\'\'toafitstclassrr9rofessio::"l"i":h.outthesec:~,so:-::r~, unfortunately,whoare. alnostunk:nowntoday,,:ewoc:l::r.otenjoythehie,:\'. standardsofliving wehavetoday.i\\11ofthese2endese:::veres:::iectful recognitionand,acco:::dingtoroofinglo:::e,r.otal~c~lenotoriety. Thecompletebookisstill beingresearc~ed.~ckvtookthreedavs to ,.;rite- Roots,12years.Hopefully,thisEiste.r.- willtakeso:\'le,;he~e inbet~-"1e2n.~themeantimeweofferthis;:)oo:Zle.t~3anabbrevia.ted Histo:cy.Inthefollo,1ingpagestherearebo,::-:dtobeerrorsando:nissians and,thoughcarefullyresearched,possiblynisinfo.=-=tion,soasyoureed, Iaskthat youkeepin mindonefact.Theauthorc:thisbook waschosen onthe basisoflow bid. CHAPTER2 BeforetherecouldbeanMRCA,it wasne.cessa:ytoh2.veanindustry. ProooftheoldadagethatNecessityisthe~ot.h-:~~fInventioris~err;s positiveinlearningofthedubiousbutdeli;htful criginsoftheflat roofconstruction. AccordingtotheFridayeditionoftheWichita Eagl eNewspa;,er,rublishedonDecember7,1951,CarrolE.Figge,then:r::-:acutiveSec:::et3.ryof the~,ationalRoofingContractorsAssociatior1.,relate::attheir first Co:-,ver.tionthatthenewlyfo:::med:lRCAwasthelatest ;:::ranchofanindust:::y that haditsbeginning300yearsearlier whenas,.,=-:.ishAdmiralc;otan ideathat didn\'_twork.JccordingtoMr.Fig;e,"T::=sea-faring Swede, AdmiralFaxe,didn\'t wanttobuild astee;;ircofed:::_c:;_ewhenheretiredbL:::. underbuildingconditionsthat existedin 1650he~ajtoslopehisroe:to ke.epthehousedryHeknewthatflat-toprcofsv,;-==2moreecoror;licalto buildsoheappliedanobservationhehad mademanytimesat sea. "Shipsarebuildings,Adrrtb.r.alFaxereasoaed.\':hevcontain me:carid cargoand,inspiteofthefacf that theflat deck5areoften awashwith heavyseas,thingsbelowdecksstay d:::-y. "SotheAdmiralbuiltahousewithaflatroo::,caulkedtheplanks with oakumjustlikethedecksofhisshi9anddefiedtheeleraents.He forgotonething.Theconstanti~~ersionin water causedthe decksofa shiptoswellandstay watertight.WhenaS;edishc.ryspellhitthe Admiral\'splanks,theyshrankrightatthejointsa::dthenext rainran right downtheAdmiral\'sneck." Thusaretherootsof ourindustry,onebignistake,andonsomedays Contractorsall overtheMidwestfeelit\'s nave:- tr-enquitecorrected. In1974,theExecutiveDirectorofthe !HCA,3cbLyons,capsulized thehisto:::yoftheMRCAinresponsetoarequestfrcmJohnBradford of Billings,Montana,whowasto makeapresentation c::theMRCAatthat year\'sconvention.Usingthisinformationasabasis,Mr.Bradfordinve stigatedfu:::-therandtheresearchofthesetwomen~rovidedabrief c:::itiqu~ ofthe MRCA\'shistoryandgrowth. Thebeginning was1951,thebeginningof\'.theorganizationti.at,,ould becomeknownastheM.R.C.A.,butthepla:rnir-,gbega-:backinthela::.e fortieswhentherewasconsiderablediscussionamo::~roofingcontracto:::-s that,thoughtherewasalreadyaNationalAssociat:~n,perhapsregional groupscouldbestanswertheneedsofareacontraccorsfortheNational'