April 21-27, 2002.
Administrative Professionals Day®
Wednesday, April
24, 2002
The observance in 2002 marks the 50th
anniversary of Administrative Professionals Week/Day
(APW/APD). This annual event was originally organized as
"National Secretaries Week" by IAAP and a consortium of office
product manufacturers in 1952. It was established as an effort
to recognize secretaries for their contributions in the
workplace, and to attract people to secretarial/administrative
careers. Two years ago, IAAP announced a name change for
Professional Secretaries Week and Professional Secretaries
Day. The names were changed to Administrative Professionals
Week and Administrative Professionals Day to keep pace with
changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s
administrative workforce.
Over the years, Administrative Professionals Week has
become one of the largest workplace observances. The event is
celebrated worldwide, bringing together millions of people for
community events, educational seminars, and individual
corporate activities recognizing support staff with gifts of
appreciation. Although the purpose of the celebration is
sometimes altered, and even maligned, by other groups and
individuals, a tremendous amount of publicity is obtained for
the profession during this time.
The official APW/APD theme is "50 years of Recognizing
Excellence: Administrative Professionals Week 2002."
IAAP suggests that employers observe Administrative
Professionals Week by providing training for their
administrative staff through seminars, continuing education or
self-study materials. Another suggestion is to make a
commitment toward delegating responsibilities that better
utilize the skills of administrative professionals.
Today, there are more than 3.9 million secretaries and
administrative assistants working in the United States,
according to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, and 8.9
million people working in various administrative support
roles. In Canada, there are 500,000 administrative
professionals, which includes 402,600 secretaries, 11,900
executive assistants, and 94,000 clerical supervisors.
Millions more work in offices all over the world.
Hundreds of local IAAP chapters will hold Administrative
Professionals Week events and activities. To locate a chapter
in your area, contact the membership department at IAAP
Headquarters, e-mail:
