TODAY IS PROFESSIONAL SECRETARIES DAY

In a nod to the hard work of secretaries, members of that profession are being honored this week.

Businesses and secretaries have observed Professional Secretaries Week annually since 1952 to draw attention to secretarial careers. Professional Secretaries Day is today.

The idea originated with Mary Barrett, president of Professional Secretaries International (then called National Secretaries Association) and C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corp. They were working on a council charged with addressing a national shortage of skilled office workers that existed at the time.

The local Girardot Chapter will be honored with a breakfast today. The chapter will mark its 50th anniversary later in the year.

After months of campaigning, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer proclaimed the first National Secretaries Week, June 1-7, 1952.

The week was created with two objectives:

-- To recognize secretaries upon whose skills, loyalty and efficiency the functions of business and government offices depend.

-- To call attention through favorable publicity to the tremendous potential of secretarial careers.

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 of the observance was changed to Professional Secretaries Week in 1981 when the National Secretaries Association changed its name to Professional Secretaries International.

Professional Secretaries International remains the sole sponsor of the annual event, which represents the largest workplace observance outside of birthdays and standard holidays.