|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Administrative Professionals
Day recognizes and celebrates the work of secretaries, administrative
assistants, and other office professionals for their growing and diverse
contributions to the workplace. In the United States, it is customary to take
administrative professionals out to lunch on this day, and/or to give flowers or
other gifts of appreciation.
Administrative Professionals Week was originally organized as "National
Secretaries Week" by the International Association of Administrative
Professionals (IAAP) and a consortium of office product manufacturers in 1952.
Mary Barrett, president of the National Secretaries Association (now called the
International Association of Administrative Professionals) and C. King
Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation, were serving on a council
charged with addressing a national shortage of skilled office workers that
existed at the time. Together with Harry Klemfuss, public relations account
executive at Young & Rubicam, they originated the idea for a secretaries week
campaign.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer proclaimed the first National
Secretaries Week held June 1-7, 1952, with Wednesday, June 4th designated
National Secretaries Day. Mary Barrett and C. King Woodbridge were invited to
Washington, DC for the official announcement. The event received widespread
publicity.
In 1955, the National Secretaries Association changed the date of National
Secretaries Week to the last full week of April, with Wednesday of that week
being designated National Secretaries Day. The name was changed to Professional
Secretaries Week in 1981 when the National Secretaries Association became
Professional Secretaries International (PSI).
In 1998, PSI changed its name to the International Association of Administrative
Professionals (IAAP), to further reflect the expanding role of office staff. In
the year 2000, the IAAP (official sponsor of the event) announced that the name
would change from "Professional Secretaries Day" to "Administrative
Professionals Day." The name change was made to keep in step with the changing
job titles and expanding responsibilities of today's administrative workforce.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, IAAP remains the sole sponsor of
Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day. IAAP
continues to believe in the importance of this event in calling business
attention to the increasing value and contributions of administrative
professionals in today's workplace. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
