POWERGRAMS

PG_Jan_Feb_March_2023

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5 William Patrick Lay 1906-12 The son of a legendary steamboat captain, Lay became one himself. Lay's knowledge of the waterway led him to organize the Coosa River Improvement Association to lobby the federal government for navigation improvements. He incorporated Alabama Power Company on Dec. 4, 1906, and was its first president. Lay lived from 1853 to 1940. James Mitchell 1912-13, 1915-20 Born in Canada in 1866 and raised in Massachusetts, Mitchell was an early employee of the company that became General Electric. He spent 17 years developing electricity in Brazil before he became a pioneer American hydro and electric system developer. His financial contacts in England allowed Mitchell to buy the Alabama Interstate Power Co., which merged with Alabama Power in 1912. Mitchell was president until his death in 1920. Frank Washburn 1913-15 An Illinois native born in 1860, Washburn graduated from Cornell. He founded American Cyanamid Co., organized hydro development on the Tennessee River and the Tallapoosa River. Washburn was on the organizing board of Mitchell's Alabama Traction, Light & Power Co., one of the early groups that merged with Alabama Power in 1912. Washburn left APC at the beginning of World War 1 and died in 1922. Tom Martin 1920-63 Born in Scottsboro in 1881, Martin was a lawyer, businessman, scientist, historian and industrial and civic leader. He was the legal counsel of the Tallapoosa Hydro Development group, and on Mitchell's team when hydro interests on the Coosa, Tallapoosa and Tennessee rivers were consolidated to form Alabama Power. Founder of the Southern Research Institute in 1941, Martin died in 1964. James Barry 1949-52 A California native, Barry became the Alabama Power Anniston Office manager in 1918. He was an engineer who was involved in the construction of Martin Dam. Barry helped organize Alabama Power's Southern Division. He was named vice president of Operations in 1927, joined the board of directors in 1930, became president in 1949 and left APC to join Southern Company in 1952. Barry lived from 1910 to 1972. Lewis Smith 1952-57 Born in Warrior in 1894, Smith earned an electrical engineering degree from the University of Alabama and began in 1923 at Alabama Power as a draftsman. He was named chief electrical engineer in 1939, elected vice president in 1945, named general manager in 1949 and became president three years later. Active in civic affairs, Smith was president of the Birmingham Board of Education and a trustee of the Southern Research Institute. He died in 1958. Walter Bouldin 1957-69 Born in Scottsboro in 1905, Bouldin graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in law. In 1928, he joined Judge Logan Martin's firm with responsibility for Alabama Power. His lobbying led to federal legislation allowing the company's development of the Coosa River. In 1952, Bouldin was named the company financial vice president, became president in 1957 and CEO in 1964. He died in 1974. Joe Farley 1969-89 Born in Birmingham in 1927, Farley earned an engineering degree from Princeton University and a law degree from Harvard. He joined Logan Martin's law firm in 1952, lobbying Congress for Alabama Power's Coosa River projects. In 1965, he was elected executive vice president of Alabama Power and became president in 1969. Farley was named president of Southern Nuclear in 1989, leading efforts to open the plant that was named in his honor. He died in 2010. Elmer Harris 1989-2001 Born in Chilton County in 1939, Harris joined Alabama Power as a co-op student in 1958 before receiving his engineering degree and two master's degrees from Auburn University. He became a junior engineer in the Montgomery Office in 1962, district manager at Headland in 1972, company manager of operations in 1974 and vice president in 1976. He was active in the Alabama Air National Guard for two decades. He died in 2019. Charles McCrary 2001-14 Born in Birmingham in 1951, McCrary joined the company as a co-op student before graduating with an engineering degree from Auburn University. He joined Southern Company Services in 1973. In 1982, McCrary headed Alabama Power's environmental compliance department before becoming vice president of Southern Nuclear in 1991. Auburn University established The McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security in his honor. Mark Crosswhite 2014-2022 Born in Decatur in 1962, Crosswhite was a partner in the Balch & Bingham law firm when elected senior vice president and general counsel for Southern Company Generation in 2004. He was later executive vice president of External Affairs and senior vice president and counsel for Alabama Power. In 2010, he was named president and CEO of Gulf Power. He was named chief operating officer of Southern Company in 2012 before succeeding Charles McCrary as president and CEO of Alabama Power. APC Presidents

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