Skip to main content

Women in Communications Incorporated East Central Indiana Professional Chapter records

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-201

Scope and Contents

The Women in Communication Incorporated Collection contains information and documents pertaining to its local branch, the East Central Indiana Professional Chapter including bylaws, meeting minutes, correspondence, financial records, and publications. At the end of the collection is a separate series for the papers of the last chapter president, Sheryl Swingley, including awards, reports, projects, membership and officer information, a treasurer’s kit, and material relating to the Association for Students in Communication.

Dates

  • Creation: 1956-2000

Conditions Governing Access

Separated materials are restricted. Contact the repository for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Administrative History

In 1909, Theta Sigma Phi was founded as a womens journalism honorary at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. By 1972, Theta Sigma Phi was a nationally recognized organization and was later renamed Women in Communication Incorporated. Eventually, there were 186 professional and student chapters throughout the country. The honorary was established for the purpose of advancing First Amendment rights, promoting women's advancement in the communications industry, and maintaining high professional standards in all fields of communication. Other services the organization provides are job placement, internships, scholarships, and seminars. In edition, Women in Communication Incorporated publishes The Professional Communicator, Leadership Bulletin, Washington Memo, Careers in Communication, and The Membership Directory.

The local branch of Women in Communication Incorporated, East Central Indiana Professional Chapter, was founded in 1973 for women in the eight county area of Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Henry, Jay, Madison, Randolph and Wayne. During its existence many prominent professional women of Muncie, Indiana such as Dorothea Bump, Marie Fraser, and Kathleen Meehan were members and notably active in the community. For many years the group sponsored an annual dinner and awards program, known as the Matrix Table Dinner. It also sponsored a Hometown Pride writing and drawing contest for area youth and a Ball State student chapter. The organization dissolved in 1998.

Extent

3.7 Cubic Feet (7 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1: Women in Communications administrative records, 1956-1995

Series 2: Women in Communications awards, 1969-1990

Series 3: Women in Communications publications, 1969-1990

Series 4: Sheryl Swingley papers, 1969-2000

Series 5: Restricted membership records

Series 6: Women in Communications Ball State University Chapter photographs, 1990

Series 7: Building Dreams, A Habitat for Humanity Presentation video, circa 1970-1980s

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Dorothea Bump on 1994/08/08. Addition recevied 2017/6/22 by Charlotte Shepperd.

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Separated Materials

Series 4: Membership records are restricted. See archivist.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2000/07/07 by C. Brand. Collection additions processing completed 2003/08 by J. Fox and J. Dutour. EAD finding aid created 2012/10/15 by Julie Hausknecht. EAD finding aid revised 2013/10/29 by Rebecca Marangelli. Addition processing completed 2017/07/10 by Audra Butler. EAD finding aid revised 2017/07/10 by Lindsey M. Vesperry.

Title
Women in Communications Incorporated East Central Indiana Professional Chapter records
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the Stoeckel Archives of Local History Repository

Contact:
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA