Introduction | Organization Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

 Introduction

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.

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. Literary and property rights have been dedicated to the public and duplication is permitted for the purpose of preservation and scholarly research. The register was completed by Robin Stevens in April 2009.

 Organization Sketch

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.

 Scope and Content

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.

 Series Description

PROCEEDINGS

MINUTES—GENERAL.
1969-1987.
Arranged chronologically.
These minutes include descriptions of meeting proceedings, reports given, motions made. The minutes are typed.

MEMBERSHIP RECORDS.
1970-1976.
Arranged chronologically.
This series consists of lists of members including their positions within the organization, titles of office within the organization, and their home addresses.

CORRESPONDENCE

GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE.
1969-1987.
Arranged chronologically.
The correspondence consists of letters, invitations, and memos, from both inside and outside of the organization, activities, correspondence between national and state chapters.

SUBJECT FILES

NATIONAL SECRETARIES WEEK.
1970-1981.
Arranged chronologically.
This file contains information on activities associated with Secretaries Week and members who were honored. Proclamation Certificate from the Mayor of Bowling Green, Ohio, pamphlets, letters, order forms, official letters from
Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, official letter from Governor James Rhodes of Ohio.

BOSSES’ NIGHT.
1959-1964.
Arranged chronologically.
This event was to honor the bosses of the secretaries that were deemed worthy of honor and distinction. Schedule of events that took place at Bosses’ Night, program materials, and news-paper clippings.

REPORTS

ANNUAL REPORTS.
1973-1983.
Arranged chronologically.
These give brief descriptions of the organization’s activities throughout the years such as the development of the PSI Handbook, By-laws, and Internal Procedures, NSA-Reports.

TREASURER’S REPORTS.
1970-1991.
Arranged chronologically.
These reports are typed accounts which consists of monthly reports of the balances, receipts, and disbursements of the organization’s financial accounts, and audit reports.

SCRAPBOOKS

SCRAPBOOKS.
1956-1962, 1954-1961, 1959.
Arranged chronologically.
These scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings, photographs, pamphlets, correspondence, bookmark, some materials are loose, scrapbooks are bound but the covers are not intact, one being oversized.

PRINTED MATERIALS

NEWSLETTERS—THE WOOD WIND.
1954-1961, 1962-1963, 1963-1964, 1976.
Arranged chronologically.
The newsletters give information on upcoming events, news concerning the organization, and special programs.

AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES.
1954-1980.
Arranged chronologically.

PROGRAMS.
1954, 1969-1978.
Arranged chronologically.
These include installation programs regarding the installing of officers, special dinners and banquets.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS

PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEGATIVES.
1955-1962.
No arrangement.
Most of the photographs have no identifying marks. They include photos at meetings, luncheons and dinners, Bosses’ Night, Secretaries Week, one oversized photo of the National Convention in Detroit, Michigan from the 1955-1956 calendar-year. No negatives are included and all photos are in black and white. There are no negatives included.

 Inventory

Box 1

Folder

1. Bylaws and Rules-International 1972-1979
2. Bylaws and Rules-Ohio Division 1967-1977
3. Charter-Wood County Chapter 1970-1976
4. Minutes (book) 1969-1970
5. Minutes 1970-1976
6. Minutes 1980-1982
7. Minutes 1980-1982

Box 2

Folder

1. Minutes 1982-1984
2. Minutes 1984-1987
3. Membership Statistics 1971-1976
4. Correspondence-Membership 1970-1976
5. Correspondence 1969-1974
6. Correspondence 1974-1977
7. Correspondence 1977-1987

Box 3

Folder

1. National Secretaries Week 1970-1981
2. Bosses’ Night 1959-1964
3. Great Lakes District Conference 1969, 1974-1976
4. Ohio Division-Annual Meeting (Wood County Chapter co-hosted in 1977), 1973-1978, 1981
5. Ohio Division-Correspondence 1969-1977
6. Ohio Division-History 1955-1970
7. Ohio Division-Nominations 1972-1976
8. Ohio Division-Workshops 1983-1984

Box 4

Folder

1. National Secretaries Association-Retirement Center 1969-1975
2. NSA-Reports, PSI Handbook, By-laws, Internal Procedures, 1973-1975, 1974, 1975-1977, 1983
3. NSA-Certified Professional Secretaries 1969-1976
4. Future Secretaries Association 1969-1977
5. Treasurer’s Report 1970-1991

Box 5

Folder

1. NSA-Installation Programs 1954, 1969-1978
2. The Wood Wind 1954-1961
3. The Wood Wind 1962-1963
4. The Wood Wind 1963-1964
5. Newsletter 1959-1961
6. Wood Chips 1976
7. Newspaper Clippings 1958-1980
8. Photographs n.d.

Box 6

Folder

1. Scrapbook 1956-1962
2. Scrapbook 1954-1961
3. Scrapbook (photographs) 1959

Oversized Materials

1. Photograph – National Convention, Detroit, Michigan 1955-1956

Manuscripts by Subject | Business Collections | Women's Studies Collections