Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. (IRE) is an American nonprofit organization that focuses on improving the quality of journalism, in particular investigative journalism. Formed in 1975, it presents the IRE Awards and holds conferences and training classes for journalists. Its headquarters is in Columbia, Missouri, at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. It is the largest and oldest association of investigative journalism. Programs of IRE include the National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting, which aims to foster excellence in data journalism. History Beginnings After the resignation by President Nixon, eleven journalists met in Reston, Virginia. These journalists hoped, after they conducted poor investigative journalism in during the 1960s and 1970s, to create a national association that could help journalists to produce best practices in the craft. It was in that meeting that Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. was founded. A grant of $3,100 from the Lilly Endowment of Indianapolis paid the expenses for the meeting. During debate over what to call the organization, Les Whitten, one of the journalists attending the meeting, pointed out that a defining characteristic of investigative journalists was a sense of outrage. Someone in the meeting grabbed a dictionary to find synonyms of “out-rage” and came up with “ire,” which would work as an acronym for "Investigative Reporters and Editors Group". The meeting also debated who should and should not be allowed in the upcoming organization. Some of the journalists gathered suggested restricted membership to add prestige to the organization, while others suggested a more open organization to investigative journalists and editors, so even inexperienced journalists could get help from IRE. In the end, the journalists decided for openness. Later in March 1975, writing in a trade magazine to publicize the new organization, Harley Bierce of the Indianapolis Star emphasized that the organization would provide services to any reporter needing assistance on an investigative story. “We want to stress that this won’t bean exclusive organization,” he wrote. “Good reporters naturally fall into this classification [of investigative reporter]." First meeting After the meeting, a steering committee was created, charged in exploring interest in a national organization for investigative journalism, and to plan a national conference. An executive committee was also formed, composed of Robert Peirce, Ronald Koziol, Paul Williams, Myrta Pulliam, Harley Bierce, Edward O. DeLaney, and Robert Friedly. IRE was in a delicate position to ask for funds and grants, since a journalist also investigate foundations,