American Society of Women Accountants, Toledo Branch, records

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0560

Collection Overview

Abstract

The records of the Toledo Chapter, Ohio, of the American Society of Women Accountants date from 1947 to 1984. The history of this professional organization is reflected in the collection which consists of meeting minutes, presidents' notebook, treasurer's records, annual reports, tax statements, membership records, national roster, correspondence, secretary files, program committee files, chapter development records, scrapbooks, publicity files and bulletins.

Dates

  • Creation: 1947-1984

Extent

4 Cubic Feet (4 record storage cartons )

Creator

Scope and Contents

The records of the American Society of Women Accountants, Toledo Branch, Ohio, documents the history of the professional organization from 1947 to 1984. The collection largely consists of minutes, president's notebooks, treasurer's records, membership records, committee files, news clippings, photographs, and bulletins.

The board meeting minutes date from 1954 to 1974. These minutes document the time and place of meetings, issues discussed, and actions taken. These minutes, although incomplete, are complemented by regular meeting minutes which date from 1954 to 1966; and by the president's notebooks dating from 1972 to 1980. Through a study of the documents, one can learn the changing attitudes and purposes of the Society as well as detect, to some degree, the opinion of the local and national Society about women as professional accountants.

Various other sources reflect the activities and attitudes of the American Society of Women Accountants. The programs initiated by the committees reveal the progress and development of accounting as a profession for females, which emerged during and after WWII. News clippings dating from 1947 to 1970 and bulletins also illustrate the advancement of the organization.

The Toledo Chapter kept close touch with the national Society as well as other chapters in the neighboring states. As a result, the collection contains correspondence and other records which reflect the activities of these other chapters as well as the national Society.

Biographical / Historical

The first Certified Public Accountant's certificate was granted by the state of New York in 1896. In 1933, nine women certified public accountants met in Chicago to form the American Woman's Society of Certified Public Accountants. In an effort to increase the opportunities for women in accounting, the American Society of Women Accountants was formed in 1938 under the sponsorship of AWSCPA. The new organization, with a broader base for membership, could reach out to women in all branches of accounting - public, private, and governmental - as well as the auditors, controllers, women office managers, and teachers of accounting; all who performed the functions of accounting but often without recognition.

American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA) is organized on a chapter system, and as of 1980, there are 108 active chapters located throughout the United States. The Society also offers membership-at-large to persons residing in an area having no chapter. Membership exceeds 5,500 and, since 1974, has been open to men.

The Toledo Chapter was initiated by fifteen members in 1947. They accepted the by-laws of the National Society and drafted their constitution. The purpose of the Chapter, following the by-laws, was to advance the interest of women in all fields of accounting. Within the Toledo Chapter, there gradually developed seven standing committees: award, bulletin, by-laws, chapter development, finance, publicity, and program. These committees were very active promoting the interests of women in the fields of accounting during the 1970s. By 1983, however, the Toledo Chapter disbanded.

Conditions Governing Access

No known access restrictions.

Conditions Governing Use

Researchers using this collection assume full responsibility for conforming to the laws of libel, privacy, and copyright, and are responsible for securing permissions necessary for publication or reproduction.

Language of Materials

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The records of the American Society of Women Accountants, Toledo Branch, Ohio, were donated to the Center for Archival Collections on October 10, 1989, with the cooperation of Sally B. Yeager.

Title
Guide to American Society of Women Accountants, Toledo Branch, records
Author
Xiao-yang Jiang, Kaysie Harrington
Date
November 1990, April 2020
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin