In 1956, the National Swimming Pool Institute (NSPI) was established by members of the pool industry to provide a forum for discussion among industry professionals to elevate the standards of the swimming pool industry, to promote swimming and swimming pools, to educate the public about swimming pools, and to achieve uniformity in the regulations applied to swimming pools. NSPI was incorporated in Illinois as a non-profit corpor-ation and was recognized as such with a 501c6 designation by the IRS, which designated the organization as a trade association. In 1980, after the International Spa and Tub Association became a part of the National Swimming Pool Institute, the name was changed to the National Spa & Pool Institute.