We've Come A Long Way
The following are excerpts taken from the AWC national website.
In 1909, seven female students at the University of Washington in Seattle entered the college's new journalism program, the second of its kind in the country. One of the students, Georgina MacDougall, came up with the idea for a women's journalism society. The women established Theta Sigma Phi and united their talents in creating the first women's edition of the university newspaper, The Pacific Daily Wave.
By 1915, there were Theta Sigma Phi chapters at seven state universities. Officers from the Washington Chapter still doubled as national officers, and the organization began publishing The Matrix, a Magazine for Women Journalists.
In 1918, Theta Sigma Phi held its first convention at the University of Kansas. A year later, women in Kansas City founded the first alumnae chapter (now known as professional chapters).
World War I brought more women into newspaper jobs as their male colleagues went to battle. Theta Sigma Phi member Alice Rohe was a United Press reporter in Rome; Bessy Beatty of the San Francisco Bulletin and Sigrid Schulz of the Chicago Tribune reported from Germany as the war ended. But in the postwar economic slump, hostility against "women in men's jobs" ran high. Many editors relegated women to society pages instead of "hard news."
Although women gained the right to vote in 1920, support lagged for other reforms. Ruby Black, who was national president, editor of The Matrix and the first manager of an employment bureau for members, noted in 1931 that female journalists couldn't get reporting jobs at the same pay as similarly qualified men.
By 1940, Theta Sigma Phi had 39 chapters, and World War II was expanding opportunities for women. But inequality persisted, and women were regarded as temporary or less-serious workers. At the Theta Sigma Phi convention in 1946, delegates required all chapters to eliminate any race restrictions from their bylaws.
Moving into the seventies, Theta Sigma Phi put its strength behind passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and women's social issues.
At the 1972 convention, delegates changed the name to Women in Communications, Inc. (WICI). The delegates also called for increased affirmative action to create more female journalism professors and to remove the discriminatory practices that impeded academic advancement.
In 1979, WICI united with 11 communications organizations to found the First Amendment Congress, which works to preserve First Amendment rights.
In 1982, the last surviving founder of Theta Sigma Phi, Irene Somerville Durham, 94, died. And in June, the ERA fell three states short of the required 38 to enter the constitution. But the women's rights movement had benefited nonetheless.
WICI increasingly defended the freedoms of speech and the press. Leaders protested the news blackout during the invasion of Grenada and spoke out to Congress against proposed changes to the Freedom of Information Act. More than 100 chapters organized congressional letter-writing campaigns. WICI joined the National Committee on Pay Equity.
WICI delegates voiced support for the Civil Rights Act, which President Bush signed in 1991, and the Family and Medical Leave Act, which President Clinton signed in 1993. The end of the year saw a new partnership emerge between WICI and Capital Cities/ABC Inc. on its "Stop Sexual Harassment" campaign.
In 1996, the organization became Association for Women in Communication or AWC.
Moving into the 21st century, women still struggle with pay inequity and the stress of juggling priorities. AWC continues to seek opportunities to support women in all realms of communication as it continues to expand and diversify.