On March 7, 1960 in Houston, Texas at the Joint Conference of the Gas Turbine Power and Hydraulic Divisions of The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a symposium was held on the topic of compressor stall, surge and system response. The purpose of the symposium was to afford an opportunity for exchange of information among workers in the areas of research, design, development and application of axial and centrifugal compressors. Emphasis was laid on overall rather than detailed aspects of the problem, considered from both theoretical and applied viewpoints.