 A Night to Remember at the Boston Public Library
More than 1,600 AIA convention attendees gathered Friday evening, May 16, at the Boston Society of Architects’ host city party, held at the Boston Public Library, a National Historic Landmark, to enjoy some of Boston’s finest food, music, and camaraderie. Convention-goers and guests mingled and talked about the future of the profession while reveling in the beauty of their surroundings. “We hope folks will remember this chapter party as one of the best ever,” said Nancy Jenner, deputy director, Boston Society of Architects (BSA). 
 AIA College of Fellows Inducts 2008 Class
Acknowledging the outstanding contributions of 116 AIA members as Fellows of the Institute and 13 distinguished architects from other countries as Honorary Fellows, the AIA College of Fellows gathered May 16 at the Old South Church in Boston to welcome the new inductees into their ranks. “It has been said that only in giving are we most truly fulfilled,” said AIA President Marshall E. Purnell, FAIA, in his opening remarks. “The College of Fellows exemplifies the highest and most revered aspirations of the profession, particularly the tradition of giving back freely and abundantly to this great calling that has given so much to each of us. This is a tradition rooted in giving back to the society we seek to serve.”
Members’ Voice From The Convention Expo Floor
Our intrepid reporters sallied forth to the grand opening of the AIA expo at the AIA national convention in Boston on May 15. We asked AIA members who were taking in the largest AIA expo ever--with more than 800 exhibitors--what was capturing their interest and their fancy.
 Boston Mayor and the AIA Honor Boston’s Shade of Green
The 2008 AIA Convention in Boston took time out to pay tribute to its host city’s commitment to green and sustainable architecture on Friday, May 16. At the newly LEED® Gold-certified Boston Children’s Museum, Mayor Thomas Menino and AIA CEO Christine McEntee unveiled a plaque honoring the museum’s sustainability rating. In January of 2007, Boston became the first American city to incorporate the U.S. Green Building Council’s standards into the city’s zoning codes. Menino highlighted the city’s diverse stock of sustainably designed projects; for example, historical renovation at Fenway Park by Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, to Modernist icons like AIA Gold Medal Winner I.M. Pei’s John Hancock Tower, to contemporary design pieces like Polshek Partnership’s WGBH’s radio station headquarters. “We’re turning Beantown into Greentown,” said Menino.
 Surprise May 16 Honorific for President Purnell
Karen E. Hudson—whose grandfather, Paul Williams, FAIA, became the first African-American AIA member on May 15, 1923, and the first Fellow of the Institute, in 1957—presents President Marshall Purnell, FAIA, with copies of the AIA certificates recording both occasions. Williams became a member exactly 85 years before the beginning of the AIA convention presided over by Purnell, the first African-American AIA president. Williams began practicing in 1915, opened his own office in 1922, and practiced until 1975, with designs spanning from homes for Hollywood stars to the L.A. Airport.
AIA Convention 2008: Pictured Here
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