POWERGRAMS

7 On April 1, Powergrams celebrated its 95th birthday. One of the nation's oldest corporate employee newsletters, Powergrams began in April 1920 as a monthly publication championed by President Tom Martin with the endorsement of his predecessor, chairman of the board James Mitchell. "To give you a picture, therefore, from time to time, of our problems, our hopes and purposes, the Company is arranging to issue a monthly bulletin containing information and suggestions not only from the officers, but from the individual members of the staff," wrote Martin, "… all with the view of working out a better co-operation in the Company, which will result in a better and more efficient service to the public." Powergrams got its name from A.H. Salter, cashier in the Birmingham office, who said it was a literal mixing of the company's middle name and the Greek word for writing. F.D. Mahoney was the first managing editor, with a staff of 15 employees who put together the 18-page, 25-cent per copy inaugural issue. Historian Leah Rawls Atkins references Powergrams more than 20 times in the index of "Developed for the Service of Alabama, The Centennial History of the Alabama Power Company 1906- 2006." She used Alabama Power Archives copies of Powergrams in researching her comprehensive effort that won the Sulzby Book Award in 2006. "Powergrams is a valuable primary source for understanding the history of Alabama Power," said Atkins. "Tom Martin recognized it would chronicle the story of the company's development as well as serve as a way for a growing company to maintain the feeling of family that has been so important since Alabama Power's founding." Powergrams dedicated a full issue to safety for the first time in November 1922, with articles documenting the history of the movement, the value of accident prevention, life-saving techniques, workers' compensation and educating public school students. Safety has remained a primary element of Powergrams since the start of the newsletter. Powergrams was a monthly magazine during its first 70 years before becoming a twice-monthly newsletter in the early 1990s. Its printed sheet was downsized from a tabular format in 2008 but upgraded to the current size in 2011. About 10,000 copies of Powergrams are printed for each issue, with some 6,000 mailed to retirees, media and other interested parties. Closing in on 100 HISTORY POWERGRAMS BIRTHDAY SURVEY (please circle the appropriate response) • Is Powergrams your primary source of APC news? Yes / No • Do you prefer the printed version of Powergrams vs. online? Yes / No • Have you been reading Powergrams for at least 10 years? Yes / No • Do you receive Powergrams through the U.S. mail? Yes / No • Do you think Powergrams includes interesting stories? Yes / No • Do you think Powergrams stories are factual? Yes / No • Has your name ever been listed in Powergrams? Yes / No • Has your photograph ever been shown in Powergrams? Yes / No • Does Powergrams adequately recognize employee achievements? Yes / No • Does Powergrams help you understand APC goals and issues? Yes / No What would you like to see in Powergrams? _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Please clip and mail intracompany to Editor Chuck Chandler, or through U.S. Mail to P.O. Box 2641, Birmingham, AL 35291-0666.

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