National Secretaries Association, Wood County Chapter collection

Collection – Multiple Containers

Identifier: MS-0202

Staff Only

Collection Overview

Abstract

The Professional Secretaries International – National Secretaries Association, Wood County Chapter collection gives an overall view of the organization’s involvement in the community and their accomplishments, as an organization concerned with creating opportunities and comradery among women in the business world. The materials span from the 1950s to the 1990s and include proceedings from meetings, annual reports, membership information, information on special programs sponsored by the organization and several scrapbooks documenting its accomplishments and special events.

Dates

Creation: 1954-1991

Extent

3.46 Cubic Feet (5 legal archives boxes, 1 record storage carton, 1 flat file)

Creator

Professional Secretaries International. Wood County Chapter (Ohio) (Organization)

Scope and Contents

The Professional International – National Secretaries Association, Wood County Chapter Collection consists of proceedings, correspondence, subject/case files, reports, scrapbooks, printed materials, photographs, membership information, treasurer’s and annual reports, the Wood Wind newsletters, Wood Chips reports. The materials span from 1954 to 1991 and give insight into the organization’s involvement in the Wood County community.

The materials concerning the organization’s meetings include minutes, typed, which give general descriptions, by-laws which outline the organization’s purpose and membership information. Overall, these materials are extensive.

The subject files offer a little more insight into the organization’s participation in events. The National Secretaries Week covers the event in detail and what took place, Bosses’ Night celebrated the success of their bosses. Another file included contains information on the National Secretaries Association – Retirement Center and the Wood Wind newsletters.

The rest of the collection – scrapbooks, newsletters, printed materials, and photographs give more information on special events. The scrapbooks include special programs, photographs, and newspapers clippings on the organization and its accomplishments, and involvement with the community. Some of the photographs are not identifiable. Some of the materials are loose but in general, the scrapbooks are well organized. The Wood Wind newsletter, the Wood County Chapter’s own newsletters, will give one a good idea of the events and programs the organization was involved in. The Professional Secretaries International time-frame of the newsletters covers from April 20, 1954 through April 1964, and September through November 1976.

This collection gives a good overview of what the Professional Secretaries International – National Secretaries Association, Wood County Chapter was involved in from 1954 to 1991and how they affected the community as well as help prepare young and mature women for the professional world.

Biographical / Historical

The foundation for the organization of the Ohio Division of the Professional Secretaries International, Wood County Chapter was laid in 1949 when the Northeast District Meeting was held in Akron, Ohio. At that time, Mary H. Barrett, Northeast District Vice President, appointed the first Ohio State Advisor, Lilyan Miller.

The first unofficial state meeting was held in Youngstown, Ohio from March 30-April 1, 1951. After the chapters accepted state organizations on a trial basis at the 1952 National Convention held in Washington, D.C., Lilyan Miller, as Northeast District Vice President, called for an expression from the states in her district, and nine of the eleven states (including Ohio), voted to accept membership into the state organization. At the Regional Meeting held in Cleveland, Ohio in the fall of 1952, the first state officers were appointed by Lilyan Miller. Beginning in May, 1953, the state officers were elected by the membership.

In 1954, at the convention held in New York City, the National Secretaries Association officially adopted state organization’s emblem, and the first Ohio Division Meeting was held in Akron, Ohio from May 20-22, 1955.

Ohio was part of the Northeast District until 1956 when, at the International Convention in Detroit, the Great Lakes District was created by division of the Northeast District, and Ohio then became part of the Great Lakes District.

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

Additional Description

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the Center for Archival Collections in November 1981 by Cynthia A. Rossman, President of the Professional Secretaries International, Wood County Chapter.