Eastern Communication Association records
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of records for the Eastern Communication Association ranging from 1910 to 2010. These records include constitutions, by-laws, correspondence, and other administrative records; Executive Council and committee records; officer and membership records; convention planning records; financial records; organizational newsletters, periodicals, and other publications; photographs; audio and video recordings; and other records documenting the professional and administrative activities of the organization. Also included in this collection are records from other local, state, regional, and national speech and forensic organizations including the Eastern Forensic Association, New England Speech Conference, New England Forensics Conference, New York State Speech Association, and the Speech Association of America.
Dates
- 1910 - 2010
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
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
The Eastern Communication Association was initially established as non-profit organization in 1910 and continues as the oldest professional communication association in the United States. The organization's members participate in state, regional, and national activities related to speech, forensics, and communication theory. The stated purpose of the organization is "to promote the study, criticism, research, teaching and application of the artistic, humanistic and scientific principles of communication." Membership in the organization is open to any person or institution interested in promoting the organization's purposes but ECA especially serves persons and institutions within the states, commonwealths, federal districts, and territories of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
The name of the organization has undergone several changes over the years. It was established in 1910 as the Conference of Instructors of Public Speaking in the Colleges of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, District of Colombia, and Southern New York. Sometime between 1910 and 1914, the name was simplified to the Public Speaking Conference of New England and the North Atlantic States. In 1914, it became known as the Eastern Public Speaking Conference, and in 1950 the organization was renamed the Speech Association of the Eastern States. Finally, in 1973 it became known as the Eastern Communication Association.
The ECA has published a variety of periodicals during its history including Today's Speech,The Bulletin,Communication Quarterly, and various organizational newsletters.
Source: "About ECA--History," Eastern Communication Association.
http://www.ecasite.org/aws/ECA/pt/sp/p_about_history (last accessed May 20, 2015)
Extent
14.5 Cubic Feet (35 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Arranged in the following series and subseries:
Series 1: Administrative records, 1934-2002
Series 2: Financial records, 1933-2007
Series 3: Executive Council and committee records, 1910-2006
Series 4: Membership records, 1934-2007
Series 5: Convention planning records, 1920-2008
Series 6: Publications, 1923-2010
Series 7: Other speech and communication organization records, 1913-1983
Subseries 7.1: Local, state, regional, and national organizations, 1940-1983
Subseries 7.2: Eastern Forensic Association, 1950-1972
Subseries 7.3: New England Forensic Conference, 1950-1962
Subseries 7.4: New England Speech Conference, 1913-1973
Series 8: Photographs, 1936-1993
Series 9: Audio recordings, undated
Series 10: Video recordings, 1990-1994
Custodial History
This collection was received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from the Eastern Communication Association on 2014/10/28.
Accruals
Further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2015/02-17 by Emily Rapoza. EAD finding aid created 2015/05/14 by Emily Rapoza. EAD finding aid revised 2015/05/20 by Brandon Pieczko.
- Agendas (Administrative Records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- By-laws Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Communication Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Constitutions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Directories Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- East (U.S.) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Financial records Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Forensics (Public speaking) Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Minutes (Administrative Records) Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- Newsletters Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Photographs Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
- Programs Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
- Reports Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Scholarly periodicals Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Sound recordings Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Video recordings Subject Source: Art & Architecture Thesaurus
- 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 Special Collections Repository
Alexander M. Bracken Library
2000 W. University Avenue
Muncie Indiana 47306 USA
765-285-5078
libarchives@bsu.edu