James Riely Gordon collection

12 THE SOUTHERN CHAPTER, A. I. A.

ored to do the past year, and also to bring before you such suggestions as have occurred to me for the perfecting of our organization. The work thus far has been mainly initiative, placing the objects of the Chapter before the architects of the South, securing a charter, and in general correspondence to awaken an interest amongthose we hoped and felt would join with us in attaining our end. Our worthy Secretary has been very efficient in discharging his duties by correspondence and keeping before the profession in the columns of our organ, "The Southern Architect," the need of organization, and several times during the past year I have addressed the members and others, impressing upon them the importance of unity of action in this the commencement of our organization. This large and intelligent body of representative men of the several states before me to-day is but the advance guard of what we hope our annual conventions will be in the future. May the best interest of each and all, and of the profession in general, be promoted by our assembly in this hospitable city of Birmingham.

As yet we are but young in the development of our profession in the South and have had but limited means to encourage its progress as a profession, yet I hope that the younger members will devote all their spare time to the study and development of architecture, from a theoretical as well as a technical standpoint, and endeavor to give a freer scope to its artistic influences, than the older members had in their meager opportunities of study.

I can remember thirty years ago, when quite a young man, I asked an English master-workman how I could become an architect. He replied, "Work in the day and learn the practical; study at night and learn the theoretical; study the works of Nicholson, Pugin, Ruskin, Jones," and uf others he named. We had not then the benefits of the superior photographs, nor the later photo-engraving work, nor the still later beautiful and artistic photogravures to assist us, butrelied wholly on the engraved work in the foreign journals, for as yet architectural publications in this country were very rare, the only ones I could get being "Downing's Country Homes," and later, about 1857 or 1858, I believe, the publications of Samuel Sloan, of Philadelphia, which found a ready sale in the Southern States, and really from his studies sprung those elegant Southern mansions still seen throughout the States, emblems of an era of refinement slowly passing away. But what do we now see opening to the student of architecture? In every state technical schools with architectural studies as a part of the curriculum; architectural photographs giving a tour through the Land of Flowers and Art; all the principal cities of England, France and Italy photographed, so that with a few hours of study he can explore the scenes of months of travel, which formerly only the wealthy and the professor could enjoy.

And not only in the old countries but in our great America the march of architectural progress has kept pace with the spirit of the times. And even in this country, it was one of our Southern brethren, Richard-

14 THE SOUTHERN CHAPTER, A. I. A.

Western brethren in the profession and reap the benefits to be derived from a united interest in our chosen profession.

I will close by quoting a sentence taken from the Journal of Architecture, of Philadelphia, which expresses fully the object of our assembly to-day; "Architects as a fraternity should, by their intermingling and interchange of ideas, by their unremitted and unanimous action, and, if possible, in a broad and all-embracing organization, working from within by and upon its membership, attempt to render the methods and practice of architecture more uniform, raise the average standard of design, and by making all true criteria of architectural merit more generally known and more universally adopted, pave the only highway to the popularity of true architecture which seems at present to be open."

The President: 'The next thing in order is the report of the Board of Directors.

The Secretary : As sec'y of the Board of Directors I wish to state that but one meeting of the Board of Directors was held in 1892, which occurred at Atlanta, Ga., Sept. 1st. At this meeting the letter ballot, similar to that used by the A. I. A. was adopted. The Board of Directors also instructed the Secretary to have a Certificate of Membership engraved with such conditions shown in its face as render it void after the following annual meeting, a copy of which, properly filled out, to be given to each Fellow, upon the full payment of all dues for the current year. A copy of this certificate is herewith submitted for your consideration. It was further ordered that Fellows of the A. I. A. requesting membership in this Chapter be excused from furnishing photographs or other drawings as evidence of their professional ability, but in other respects the application blank to be filled out by each applicant and endorsed in the usual way.

The Board of Directors held a meeting this morning prior to the assembling of this Convention, and after considering the applications filed in proper form with the Secretary, they recommend for membership the following named architects, viz.: W. E. Hall, Winston, N. C.; Tom Wood, Sherman, Tex.; C. H. Read, Jr.., Richmond, Va.; G. W. E. Field, Richmond, Va.; J. G. Barnwell, Rome, Ga.; C. C. Wilson, Roanoke, Va.; J. W. McClain, Birmingham, Ala.; E. W. Smith, Lexington, Ky.; Geo. W. Stewart, Dallas, Texas ; Harry D. Breeding, Huntsville, Ala.; P. S. Rabbit, Galveston, Tex.; J. A. Tempest, Houston, Tex.; W. A. Bird, Bir-