At the beginning, the Canadian Authors Association attracted a membership which included some of the most prominent names of Canada's literary past. For three decades following its establishment, CAA membership included writers, poets, publishers, editors, distinguished librarians, composers and painters. The humorist Stephen Leacock was a founding member of the CAA, as were the poets Bliss Carman, Robert Service and Duncan Campbell Scott. Nellie McClung and Pelham Edgar served as Vice-Presidents. Other members of the founding executive included John Murray Gibbon and B.K. Sandwell. The membership list in later years included composer/conductor Sir Ernest MacMillan, music publisher Gordon V. Thompson, ethnologist/ethnomusicologist Marius Barbeau and academic Dr. Watson Kirkconnell. In the early years, membership was divided into two categories: 'regular' members - those who had published at least one book, several short stories or articles, or had had one play produced; and 'associates' - aspiring writers, publishers or editors. Following the establishment of associations such as the Writers' Union of Canada (1972), professional membership in the CAA declined. In an attempt to make up for lost members and to stimulate new interest in the association, CAA membership criteria were relaxed by, for example, reducing the requisite number of published works.
The documents of this series are organized into three groups. The first of these consists of membership applications, which are grouped together, as found, in alphabetical order. It is important to note that the run of membership applications is incomplete. Some notable applications found in this series include those of Pierre Berton, James Charles Bonar, Robertson Davies (who joined the CAA in the 1950s and maintained his association with the group throughout his life), William Arthur Deacon and the librettist Elza Dohnanyi-Galafrés (a relation of the Hungarian composer Ernö Dohnanyi). Three series of index cards constitute the second group of records in this series. The cards are organized into: members by branch, members alphabetical and members dropped from lists due to non-payment of fees or death (the date of death is usually marked on the card). The last grouping of files in this series consists of various miscellaneous membership documents. Among this last group of files can be found biographical information on Past President and former newspaper columnist Eric Crowther, former Honorary President Don W. Thompson, membership lists (Executive, Branch and General), letters of membership resignation and membership reports.