Like Walls & Ceilings, the Gypsum Association emerged during the 1930s, a time when both the manufacturing and the construction industries were caught up in the downward economic spiral we know as the Great Depression. With scant resources, the newly established association quickly identified the components needed to be successful in the industry: notably rigorous testing, standards work, identifying solutions to common technical problems and creating publications laying out best practices. Promotion efforts celebrated the versatility of gypsum as well as the important role gypsum plays in the creation of fire-resistant building assemblies. To this day, and even as our member companies continue to innovate, these efforts form the bedrock of the association’s work.