Wings Chapter

Wings History

Last updated on 8/12/2011 9:43:16 AM

Wings Chapter was chartered in 1945 by 37 founding members, and we were the first chapter in Ohio to celebrate our 65th Anniversary in 2010. Throughout the years, our international association has undergone numerous name changes. In Dayton, we have remained loyal to our chapter name, proving that you can't take our "Wings" away!

Out of our total membership, 46% of Wings Chapter members have attained one or both of the certifications available to them:

CPS® (Certified Professional Secretary) or CAP® (Certified Administrative Professional)
The total percentage of retired (Merited) members in our chapter stands at 8%.

Wings Chapter History

Submitted by: Barbara Cecil, CPS

During World War II, the U.S. government issued frantic calls for secretaries, clerks, and others who could assist in the war effort. Secretaries “manned” the home front and the office front as many women entered factories, war plants, and various jobs. In 1942, to provide a network for secretarial staff, the National Secretaries Association was established in Topeka, Kansas. An Association was born, and its progress became synonymous with that of the secretarial profession The first issues of the association’s magazine, The National Secretary (now Officepro), was published in 1943.
On February 22, 1945, 37 charter members organized Wings in Dayton, Ohio (the first chapter in Ohio). The organizational meeting was held at the Biltmore Hotel where Edythe (Edie) Harrison was elected president. She and Mildred Mayer (our second president) attended the first National Secretaries Association convention in Kansas City in February 1946. Delegates approved the development of the Certified Professional Secretary program. Approximately 200 other members from 115 chapters also attended from a membership of 2,904 .
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February 28, 1946
Dayton newspaper article

"Birthday" for Secretaries

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Wings chapter, National Secretaries association, was sung last night by 46 members, celebrating its first anniversary in the Van Cleve hotel. Seated are Miss Lucille Korns (left), recording secretary, and Miss Dorothy Rohrer, corresponding secretary. Standing (left to right) are Miss Ruth Nulte, treasurer; Miss Edythe Harrison, president, and Miss Ludwica Raterman, vice president.

In July 1946, under the leadership of Mildred Mayer, the members resigned from NSA and became a chapter in Secretaries International. In 1949, the Secretaries International convention was held in Dayton, Ohio.
Christmas 1948 at the Van Cleve Hotel Meetings were held at the Van Cleve Hotel located at 36 W. First Street, Dayton OH

Dayton Journal Herald - July 13, 1949
Plan 3^rd Annual Convention

SECRETARIES INTERNATIONAL, members of Wings chapter of Dayton are completing arrangements for the third annual convention to be held July 22 to 24, at the Van Cleve hotel. Members of the planning board include (seated left to right) Margaret Cochran, Virginia Doom, Mildred Lyday; (standing) Dorothy Dallas and Betty Geiger.

		Wings Chapter 4^th Birthday at the Elks Lodge Mildred Mayer President 1946-47 Virginia Doom President 1948-49 Irene Azyling Edythe B. Harrison President 1945-46
In 1950, the merger with Secretaries International brought NSA 467 new members and a new project – building a home for retired secretaries. “Every Member Get a Member” was the slogan to increasing membership. In 1951, the first nationwide CPS Exam was given and 281 candidates at 15 examination centers took the exam (today there are more than 250 exam centers worldwide). Dictation machines and electric typewriters were starting to appear; carbon paper and mimeographs were tops in reproduction. National Secretaries Week (renamed Administrative Professionals Week in the year 2000) was originated in 1952 to recognize “the secretary, upon whose skills, loyalty, and efficiency the function of business and government depend.” It is observed the last full week in April with Wednesday now designated as Administrative Professionals day. From 1953-55, Helen Reger was Wings Chapter president. They held the NSA State meeting on May 14-16, 1954, in Dayton. The Great Lakes became the fifth district of the Association. NSA’s first Special Award for recognition and understanding of the secretarial profession was presented to Vice President Richard Nixon who addressed the Convention in Minneapolis in 1958.

In the 1960’s, Wings Chapter inducted the first African-American member (Audrey Redmond) in the state of Ohio. Flight was adopted as the name of the news bulletin. There were 57 members and the Board was urged to investigate all prospective members to insure that only qualified “secretaries” be admitted to membership. At the 1967 convention, delegates voted to open membership to men.

1966-1967 Executive Board

1st row - Barbara Albrecht, Treasurer
Dorothea Staehlin, President
Dorothy Eifert, Board Member at Large
2nd row - Betty Van Dyke, Secretary
Barbara Albright, 1st Vice President
Marjorie Howell, 2nd Vice President

NOTE: in Oct 1966 it was necessary for Barbara Albright to resign as First Vice President for personal reasons. Dorothy Eifert was appointed as First Vice President. Wanda Riggs was appointed as Board Member at Large.

In 1972, a 21-year dream culminated with the opening dedication of Vista Grande, an 11-acre retirement complex in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In 1973, secretaries were no longer satisfied just to run errands and type letters; they were looking for a more professional position preferring to be called administrative assistants. Geraldine Tomlinson, Wings President, wrote to a Senator urging him to vote for S.J. Resolution 67 which gave major recognition for Secretaries Week. In 1978, members headed to Canada for the International Convention in Vancouver and to the Liberal Arts Seminar at Defiance College. At the end of 1979, members busily worked on the 1980 Ohio Division Convention that was held in Dayton.

1981-1982
Officers and Board of Directors

L-R Janet Hand, Second Vice President
Elnora M Reichard, Treasurer
Margaret Poor, First Vice President
Janet Bender, President
Evelyn Stemen, President-Elect
Sheryl Brinley, CPS; Secretary
Absent - Jeannette Houston, Director

In 1981, NSA (International) changed their name to Professional Secretaries International. Wings Chapter’s Janet Hand was selected as International Secretary of the Year and was invited to the White House. And in 1987, the CPS program restructured and required recipients to recertify their credentials every five years. Also in 1987, Mr. Shirley Wilkerson, CPS was nominated to the Institute for Certifying Secretaries. In 1989, PSI purchased land in Kansas City and in 1995, they purchased the building and the site of their present world headquarters.

1990-1991 Board

Wings received the International award for having attained the greatest percentage net increase in membership (76 to 100 members) in 1992-93. And another Wings chapter member was chosen ISOTY in 1994 at the International Convention in Orlando – Earlene Dafler. In February 1995, Wings Chapter celebrated 50 years at the Dayton Women’s Club during a huge celebration with many former members and presidents attending. In 1998, PSI changed their name to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and in 2000 also changed the name of Professional Secretaries Week to Administrative Professionals Week. In 2001, IAAP introduced the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) program.

Wings Chapter members also hosted the Ohio Division Annual meeting in 1992 and 2005 and the Great Lakes District Conference in 1999.

We continue to advance the administrative support profession and promote professional excellence, with more than 40,000 members and affiliates worldwide. In Dayton, we have undergone many changes throughout the years, and we’ve had many outstanding members and presidents who have made Wings what it is today.

Currently, we have over 115 members who attend a dinner meeting and program on the third Wednesday of the month (except July). We have remained loyal to our chapter named for the birthplace of aviation and our “Wings” will forever lift us to new heights.

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