The first women’s architectural organization, called La Confrerie Alongine, was established in 1915 when four students, Mae Steinmesch, Helen Milius, Angela Burdeau and Jane Pelton, enrolled in the School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, were not allowed to join the men’s architecture fraternity.  Over the next few years, La Confrerie Alongine expanded to other university campuses where women were studying architecture.  Mae Steinmesch recounted the forming of the organization, “In 1915 there were four girls in the School of Architecture at Washington University.  Apprised of the fact there were other women enrolled at other Universities in the same field, we organized…”.

In 1922, a national organization was founded and the Association was named Alpha Alpha Gamma.  The first student chapter at Washington University was referred to as the Alpha Chapter.  The Beta Chapter formed at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, the Gamma Chapter at the University of Texas in Austin, and the Delta Chapter at the University of California in Berkley.  These four chapters met at annual conventions in St. Louis in 1922, in Minneapolis in 1923, and in San Francisco in 1924.  In succeeding years, more student chapters of Alpha Alpha Gamma were formed to total ten:

• Alpha Chapter - Washington University
• Beta Chapter -  University of Minnesota at Minneapolis
• Gamma Chapter - University of Texas at Austin
• Delta Chapter - University of California at Berkeley
• Epsilon Chapter - University of Illinois
• Zeta Chapter - University of Michigan
• Eta Chapter - Cornell University
• Theta Chapter - University of Kansas
• Iota Chapter - Alabama Polytechnic Institute
• Kappa Chapter - University of California at Los Angeles

As women students graduated and took their place in the profession, they began professional chapters in the same cities and as they became more established, the organization took on a more professional emphasis.  Biennial conventions were scheduled to include both the student and professional chapters.  During World War II no conventions were scheduled and some student chapters disbanded. 

Alpha Alpha Gamma came of age at its national convention in San Francisco in 1948.  The professional chapters were re-organized as the Association of Women in Architecture and the Allied Arts, and Alpha Alpha Gamma became the Association’s undergraduate affiliate.  Membership in AWA was opened to women in closely related fields such as landscape architecture, interior design, sculpture, fine arts, planning, and engineering because they shared many of the same problems entering their professional careers.  In 1950, at the height of the AWA’s national organization, seven student chapters and eight professional chapters were represented at the national convention.  Professional chapters existed in Ann Arbor, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, Austin, Twin Cities, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The financial pressure of maintaining a national organization, including publishing the newsletter, Keystone, and funding annual conventions, precipitated a re-organization in 1964, and the national organization was dissolved.  Individual professional and student chapters continued in cities and universities over the next 10 years.  As women students enrolled in larger numbers in architecture schools they found they were no longer excluded from other student organizations.  They joined the student chapters of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and no longer felt a need for Alpha Alpha Gamma.  The professional chapters of AWA dwindled as well, as more women were accepted into other professional organizations and their support in the professions broadened, until eventually only the Los Angeles Chapter was left.  In 1975, the name of the organization was changed to the Association for Women in Architecture, to better reflect the broadening of it's membership to include everyone interested in supporting women in their professions, including men.

The Association for Women in Architecture – Los Angeles consists of architects, engineers, designers, landscape architects, planners, contractors and artists with members ranging from mature professionals to students and interns.  A newsletter is published quarterly and electronic communications are sent regularly to inform members of activities, review books and exhibitions, provide a calendar of events, and discuss subjects of mutual interest to all.  The Association also provides annual scholarship awards to women students pursuing degrees in architecture and allied fields.  In 1999, the non-profit 501(c)(3) Foundation was established to better facilitate this extension of financial support, and to soon provide grant opportunities for women already practicing in their professions.