Hastings joined the American Institute of Architects in 1946 as a member of the Detroit chapter. He served as chapter president for 1958–60 and in 1963 was elected to the national board of directors. After also serving as treasurer and vice president, in 1969 he was elected first vice president/president elect for 1969–70 and president for the year 1971. As president Hastings began the construction of the present AIA headquarters and led the computerization of the organization's records.R. Randall Vosbeck, A Legacy of Leadership: The Presidents of the American Institute of Architects, 1857–2007 (Washington: American Institute of Architects, 2008): 121-123.
