Permanent Grand Chapter Secretary Tom Hunter expressed his hope: "that admission of Epsilon Chapter to ‘Lambie Pie’ opens the membership to students with 15 or more college units in Criminology, to both men and women, with the hope that membership will commence at the pre-service phase of employment and continue through all levels of police service on to retirement." What Tom Hunter did not envision was the expansion of the School of Criminology into not only Police Science, but also Corrections and Criminalistics. Within five years, Epsilon Chapter had contributed several hundred student members to various police, probation, parole, prison and specialized state agencies. The enthusiasm of college-trained entrants into the field, inspired by their employed professional "brothers" again renewed the interest of all levels in training in criminal justice. 1952 saw a petition received from the University of Indiana, Police Science Department. With the establishment of Zeta Chapter, membership was established beyond the State of California. "Provincial" thinking was expanded, thanks to the group affectionately known as "our corresponding chapter". 1953 saw the establishment of a professional "Women’s Chapter" in Sacramento. Eta Chapter declined to break the sex barrier as a "Fraternity" but assisted in the establishment of Theta Chapter. Membership was opened initially to full-time sworn employees of law enforcement agencies with academic qualifications, or women enrolled in police science programs at Sacramento State College. It was later opened to "support" personnel with all other qualifications. LAE first became "international" in 1953 when two visiting lecturers at the U.C. School of Criminology participated in Epsilon and Alpha activities over a nine-month period. On return to Britain, Sir Arthur Dixon, H.M. Inspector of Constabulary, and Col. C.E. St. Johnston, Chief Constable, Lancashire Constabulary, not only had LAE membership, but became the hosts to many American visitors for several years following their sabbaticals. In 1956, Bill Melnicoe was appointed Assistant Professor at Sacramento State University, Police Science Department. Melnicoe was a former Berkeley officer, graduate of U.C. Berkeley and member of both Alpha and Epsilon Chapters. As Chapter Advisor, he took steps to charter a Collegiate chapter at that institution. Iota Chapter became the catalyst for rapid expansion within the State Community Colleges in both California and throughout the country. At the Annual Meeting on September 15, 1956, founding member Tom Hunter (permanent Secretary) ascended to the presidency of Grand Chapter for the second time. With him was the new generation of young professionals, in entry level jobs in police agencies, corrections and colleges. The old ideas were tempered with broader visions for the future. At the Annual Meeting in 1957, 200 members were challenged by speakers O.W. Wilson (Dean of Criminology) and Richard McGee (Director of Corrections, State of California) to expand the professional organization to encompass all facets of the criminal justice field. Professor Melnicoe, under the guidance of Tom Hunter, began to systematically plan the expansion of LAE into existing Criminal Justice Programs in California and elsewhere through his association with Criminal Justice Educators’ Associations. During this phase, Tri Omega Chapter at Rio Honda College (1963) and Pi Kappa at Cerritos College (1961) gave a base and impetus to college-to-professional movement in Southern California. The recruitment of C. Alex Pantaleoni and Dick McGrath as Faculty Advisors resulted in strong, continuing chapters which repeated the Epsilon experience of introducing and recruiting many students who proceeded to enhance professional membership upon graduation and entry into law enforcement jobs in Southern California. In 1958, Bill Melnicoe assumed the Presidency of Grand Chapter and worked tirelessly with Secretary Hunter to form a network of chapters in various locations from Florida, Washington, Massachusetts and elsewhere in the U.S.

In 1965, the first formal competitions took place at the Annual Meeting in Oakland. President Gene Luttrell, past member of Epsilon (1954) and Alpha chapters, presided at the first Awards Banquet, with trophies presented for Firearms, Accident Investigation and Crime Scene. Coordinator Melnicoe spoke to future competitions and the desire that, in the future, competition would be at a national level. At the Annual Meeting, new member Hubert Owsley was initiated as a professional member of LAE. Also at that meeting, Past Presidents Lee Meyers (1961), Alex Pantaleoni (1963) Bill Melnicoe (1958-60 and 1967-69) and Tom Hunter (1944-45, 1956-58) were present together with future Presidents Dick McGrath (1966) and Hugh Owsley (1969-70) and 1974-75). Strong support was given to future activities by founding fathers and those who passed the torch as the Fraternity grew and developed. This was a pivotal and progressive session from which growth and progress mushroomed, both geographically and in changing directions which pointed to the present board, nationwide appeal and function. The objectives and purposes of LAE were discussed and rewritten after many hours of argument and haggling. As stated by President McGrath in his message at the 1967 Annual Meeting: "Each year LAE continues to grow in the number of chapters and total membership. Each year our expansion has taken us further from our California ‘home base’. We are truly a National organization, with nationwide impact on law enforcement education." McGrath further affirmed the objective to "promote public understanding of the problems and objectives of the administration of justice" and challenged the membership to view the Fraternity as an unlimited horizon as to the opportunity to contribute to the profession and the communities we serve. During the presidency of Hugh Owsley we saw the formalization of the Regional Concept (1974-75) and the change of the name from LAE to ACJA/LAE to reflect a national rather than "provincial" or local association. Today’s American Criminal Justice Association/Lambda Alpha Epsilon shows in excess of 145 chapters throughout the 50 states, comprising over 4,500 members, including "at-large" membership throughout the world. Truly the ACJA has grown beyond the wildest dreams of the small group of "Founding Father's" who met in Hayward in December of 1937. The world has changed, a profession has emerged and each of us, over the years, by the joining of hands and acts of mutual cooperation and understanding, has helped to forge a better community. LAE has served a valuable purpose over each of the decades of its existence: It is this writer’s hope that each future generation will be as successful in their own time as have been those of the past. Onward and Upward with LAE! By Eugene V. Luttrell Past-President