Administrative Professionals

During World War ll there was a shortage of people with the skills of an administrative professional. This was due to the birth-rate decline from the Depression era and booming post-war business. In 1942, the National Secretaries Association was formed in order to recognize the contributions of administrative personnel to the economy, support their development, and attract workers to the field. During their first year as an association, they created National Administrative Professionals Day. Key figures in the day’s creation include the association’s president — Mary Barrett, the president of Dictaphone Corporation — C. King Woodbridge, and the public relations account executives at Young & Rubicam — Harry F. Klemfuss and Daren Ball.

The designated moment of celebration was first dictated by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Charles W. Sawyer, as National Secretaries Week, held from June 1 through June 7. In 1955, Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April, with Wednesday marked as Administrative Professionals Day. In 1981, the name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week but, in the year 2000, it became Administrative Professionals Week in order to include the wide range of responsibilities and job titles of administrative staff in the modern economy. The day has undergone many name changes but the initial goal to celebrate and recognize all the hard work administrative professionals do has remained.

National Today (n.d.) History of Administrative Professionals Day. https://nationaltoday.com/administrative-professionals-day/