The records of the Alabama Council, American Institute of Architects are composed of documents, publications, and visual materials (1916-1979). The documents cover the following areas: Advisory Committee on Continuing Education, Architecture Week, Awards, By-Laws, Cases, Central Grassroots Convention, Client-Architect Referral Questionaire, Correspondence, Document of the Month, Energy Conservation, Financial Records, Gulf States Region, Handbook Working Files, Histrical Preservation, Historical Works, Insurance, Membership Forms, Minutes, News Relases, Public Relations, Reports Rosters, and State Government Seminar. Publications are divided into Alabama Council; those created in Alabama, and other -- those created outside the state. Council publications include Alabama Architect, Booklets, Eagle, Handbook, Newsletter, and Pamphelts. The visual materials include photographs and slides concerned with the following subjects: Alabama Courthouses, Religious Architecture, 150 years of Architecture, and Honor and Design Awards. The materials that bulk largest are Correspondence, Publications and Visual Materials. Correspondence best shows the inner workings of the organization, and starting in the 1950's, it is split into chapter and convention correspondence. The by-laws show the evolution in structure and practices. Financial records include representative housekeeping records, ledgers and account books, quarterly and annual reports, financial reports of the Treasurer (and Secretary-Treasurer), and some incomplete material on the Biggin Fund. Membership forms are arranged alphabetically and all material concerning a specific person is kept together. Minutes include those of the Executive Board (1953), to formation of the Council, the General Meetings (1916-1963). Publications shows the intellectual and legislative developments within the organization. Reports, many of which are duplicated in the minutes, focus on activities and findings, especially specific subjects such as the AIA Annual Report and the State Board of Registration. Rosters correlate the information contained in the membership forms. The visual materials best show the educational efforts of the Council and the state of the art of architecture in Alabama. Significant persons in the collection are: Frederic Child Biggin, Harry I. Johnstone, Hugh Martin, and Clyde C. Pearson. The geographical area covered is predominantly Alabama, although special conventions and Gulf States Regional Conventions occur elsewhere. Specific events covered by the material are efforts of cooperation with state and federal governments in the World Wars, the Council's entry into politics and the Association's interests in historical preservation, public relations and political and architectual controversies in the twentieth century. Suggestions for further additions -- Most of the boxes have space for future interfilling. Eventually, materials will be added that should be in groups covering a span of years (i.e. 1980-1985, 1980-1990). It is suggested that these addenda follow the basic outline in the inventory, most especially those topics developed after 1950.