The Alabama Rural Electric Association Records consist of annual meetings, material, legislative files, activity programs, budgets, directories, and newsletters (1966-1984) generated/collected by the association's executive vice-president's office. In June 1984, ca. 3.5 linear feet of AREA office files were transferred to Auburn University Archives for microfilming. A total of ca. 14 linear feet of records was inventoried in the AREA office when AREA proved reluctant to transfer the material to the Archives, microfiliming of those records deemed by the Archives to be most historically significant was agreed upon. AREA decided against either transferring or filming 13 minute books dating from the Association's inception in 1947. The records deposited in the Archives can be of value in tracing the development of the federation and for statistical information on the rural electrification program as a whole and of local cooperatives in particular. Of especial interest are the Legislative Files: 1969-1984 (Series III) which trace AREA's struggle to have territorial protection legislation passed which would divide service to consumers between local rural electric cooperatives and the monolithic Alabama Power. The value of the records is diminished however, because they date only from 1967and because of the unavailability of the complete run of board minutes. The Area Records were microfilmed in the order in which they were filed by the AREA office. This was done in seven series, in reverse chronological order within series. About 3 linear inches of original copies of current record (1983-1984) are grouped together with the collection as series VII: Current Records. Series I: Annual Meetings Material, 1969-1982. Programs, agenda, correspondence regarding the annual meetings; Roll 1. Series II: Board of Directors' Meetings Material, 1978-1981. Agenda, correspondence, unapproved minutes of Board Meetings; Roll 1. Series III: Legislative Files, 1969-1984. Correspondence, legislative bills, informational material on state and national legislation of interest to AREA members. Includes "Legislative Bolts & Flashes" 1973-1982, weekly updates on legilative activity when the state legislature is in session; Roll 1. Series IV: Activity Programs & Budgets, 1968-1982. Booklets of proposed activities for the coming year, prepared for the standing committees in each of these areas; Government Relations;Member Services; General Affairs, and Training & Development; Roll 2. Series V: Directories, 1967-1982. Annual booklets prepared by AREA with statistical information on each of its member cooperatives; Rolls 2 and 3. Series VI: AREA Newsletters, 1966-1977. Weekly updates on AREA activities; Roll 3. Series VII: Current Records. Paper, rather than microfilm format. Folder listing: 1. Organizational and Policy Manual [1983] 2. Activity Program & Budget: 1983 3. Directory: 1984 4. Directory: 1983 5. Legislative Roster: 1984 6. Legislative Roster: 1983 7. Calender: 1983 8. Annual Meeting Program: 1984 9. Annual Meeting Program: 1983 10. Audit: 1981-1982 11. Media Kit *The last 23 frames of Roll 3 are retakes.