Abstract : A word about Divisions before we talk about the Southwestern Division. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Divisions came into being in 1888, as a middle ground between Districts and the Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C. Divisions supervise Districts, perform technical reviews, and allocate the all-important resources with which the Districts do their jobs-the people's money. The Corps created the Southwestern Division in 1937. Although it was new, some of the Districts it took over were not. Albuquerque District had begun its mission in 1935. Little Rock District had first been created in 1881, though it had been absorbed for some years by the Memphis District and recreated in 1937. Galveston District, which joined the Southwestern Division in 1941, had its start in 1883. The Division's other Districts, Tulsa and Fort Worth, came into being in 1939 and 1950. Big (it covers 16 percent of the land area of the United States) and rugged as the region it represents, the Southwestern Division immediately began making its mark on the great Southwest. The Southwestern Division's 50 years have brought great changes to the eight states its boundaries encompass. Our dams reduce flooding, saving lives and millions of dollars each year for farmers, business people, and homeowners. The lakes behind those dams provide much-needed water for agriculture, industry, and the Southwest's still-growing urban areas. Millions of men, women, and children now spend pleasant hours at Corps lakes, boating, swimming, fishing, hunting, and picnicking. The region's appearance and economy are in sharp contrast to what our first employees saw in the days of Depression and Dustbowl that marked the Division's birth.