Geological Survey of Alabama Circular 52

The Alabama Department of Archives and History was founded in 1901 and became a model for many
other states. The first Director, Dr. Thomas Owen, argued that the state had a responsibility to preserve
the basic records of its people and its history. As the first of only five Directors, Dr. Owen served in
his position for almost 20 years and built the Alabama Archives into one of the most important cultural
agencies in the nation. In the past century, the Alabama Department of Archives and History has
expanded greatly from its humble beginning in Alabama's Senate to its current residence built in 1940.

The Alabama Department of Archives and History's state publications collection includes annual
reports, monographs and periodicals from the Governor's office and various state agencies including
the Department of Agriculture, Office of the Attorney General, Department of Education and more.
This document is one in this collection.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.