Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia facts for kids
The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants of the District of Columbia (AOI) is the oldest group of its kind in Washington, D.C.. It represents people who have lived in the city for a long time. This association works to protect the history and heritage of D.C. It also helps to suggest ideas to make Washington better for everyone who lives there.
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What is the AOI?
The AOI was started on December 7, 1865. This was a time when Washington, D.C., was changing a lot after the American Civil War. Some of the first people to live in the District, like Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, Peter Force, and J. Carroll Brent, helped create it. They were joined by 28 other important people from Washington.
The AOI was formed even before the different parts of the District of Columbia became one single government. This shows how old and important the group is.
Who Can Join the AOI?
When the AOI first started, members had to be at least 50 years old. They also had to have lived in D.C. for 40 years.
Today, the rules are a bit different. To be a full member, you must be at least 40 years old. You also need to have lived, worked, or owned a business in D.C. for at least 20 years. If your family member met these rules, you might also be able to join.
People who don't meet these rules can still join as "Associate Members." They get almost all the same benefits, but they cannot hold a leadership position in the association.
Important Work of the AOI
The AOI officially became a non-profit organization in 1903. For many years, from 1911 to 1956, they met in an old fire station.
Over the years, the AOI has supported many important projects for the city.
- They helped with building the District Building, which is where the city government works.
- They supported putting modern street lights all over the city.
- They helped get Washington's flag adopted in 1938. In 2002, they even spoke out against a new flag design.
The AOI also works to protect the city's original plans. These are called the L'Enfant and McMillan Plans. They have pushed for streets that were closed, like Pennsylvania Avenue near the White House, to be reopened. They also speak at meetings when these important city plans are at risk.
In 2005, a statue of Alexander Robey Shepherd was brought back to downtown Washington. Shepherd was a leader in the city from 1873 to 1874. The AOI worked hard to make this happen. In 2010, they also paid for a special plaque. This plaque tells about Shepherd's life and was placed at the bottom of his statue. The statue is located near the John A. Wilson Building.
Connecting with Other Groups
On July 4, 1920, the AOI invited members of a similar African-American group to a meeting. This group was called "The Association of the Oldest Inhabitants (Colored), Incorporated." They met to honor D.C. veterans who died in World War I.
The "Oldest Inhabitants, Incorporated" (as they preferred to be called) was also a very active group until the 1970s. For a long time, many of their records were thought to be lost. But thanks to a historian named James Goode and help from the "Washington Post," some records were found.
These records belonged to William D. Nixon, who was the president of the African-American group from 1942 to 1962. With help from the current AOI, Mr. Nixon's family worked with Howard University. The university digitized these records, making copies available to the family. While some older records are still missing, this was a big step in preserving the history of this important parallel organization.
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