Alabama Jewelers Association Historical Facts
1924 2024
Alabama Jewelers Association Historical Facts
1924 2024
• The first Alabama Jewelers meeting was held in 1920 at the Morris Hotel in Birmingham , Alabama .
• We were incorporated on June 9 , 1924 in Birmingham , Alabama as the Alabama Retail Jewelers Association a domestic non-profit .
• Due to the “ Crash ” of 1929 and the Great Depression , they didn ’ t have any events until after 1941 .
• In 1941 they started holding conventions again .
• Robert Bromberg was elected the 1st ARJA President . He served as president from 1947-49 .
• The first convention with speakers , yearbook , etc ., was held on May 29-31 , 1947 at the Thomas Jefferson Hotel in Birmingham , Alabama .
• The 1952 convention was attended by 200 people with only 72 store members .
• The ARJA was a grass roots movement formed by jewelers in Alabama in the 1950 ’ s whose primary goal was to defeat the discriminatory federal excise tax on jewelry .
• The first convention , with speakers , yearbook . etc ., was held May 29-31 . 1949 , at the Thomas Jefferson Hotel In Birmingham , Alabama .
• The 1952 convention was attended by 200 persons with only 72 store members .
• The Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1958 with Edna Goodwin as the first President .
• In 1962-63 a thirteen week television series , “ The Jewel Case ”, featured state jewelers on each program talking about various products .
• Many attended the convention of 1963 to learn “ The Sales Value of Remembering Faces and Facts - as taught by the renowned memory expert , Dr . William Nutt . Unfortunately , Dr . Nutt forgot to come .
• In 1966 Dr . Nutt remembered to come to the convention .
• ARJA 1st Executive Director , Blan Stewart .
• 1979 was the last year for the Ladies Auxiliary .
• Our name changed to Alabama Jewelers Association In 1981 .
• In 1981 AJA added a second convention , Saltwater Seminars at the beach .
• 1988 Emily Ware was the 1st female president of AJA .
• In 1997 AJA celebrated its 50th Year of having a convention as we know it today ... The convention was at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear , Alabama with over 200 in attendance .
• We will also be celebrating 77 years of consecutive conventions .
• This weekend Alabama Jewelers Association turn 100 years old ! What an accomplishment !
There are many events that aren ’ t mentioned above . I ’ m sure if you ask some of our past president attending this weekend they will be glad to share some of their favorite AJA memories with you .
Thank you for being here with us to celebrate our 100th Year ! I know you will have some great memories to share too and I know we will make many more memories this weekend .
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