History of ABC

The First Year of ABC

By Kitty O. Locker, Ohio State University, 1995 (updated 2002)

"In December of 1935," Andy Anderson said, "[we] decided that it was time for business writing teachers to have their own association" (Weeks, 1985, p. 15).

They had tried other organizations. In 1917, The Better Letters Association had been founded for teachers as well as business people. In the second year, however, the focus changed to "strictly business," and in the third year the organization folded and merged with the Direct Mail Advertising Association (the precursor of today's Direct Marketing Association).

For a few years, the National Association of Teachers of Advertising seemed helpful. But, Andy reported, "it soon went over into marketing, changed its name to National Association of Teachers of Marketing, and later to the American Marketing Association in which even the advertising teachers got badly squeezed" (Anderson, 1960; 1985, p. 11).

The only other available organization, The Modern Language Association (MLA), focused on literature, not writing. (About the time of ABC's 25th anniversary, the Conference on College Composition and Communication would be created by faculty who felt that MLA did not represent their interests.) In the first membership solicitation letter, Andy wrote, "For many years, we have had a tenuous connection with such associations as the M.L.A., the D.M.A.A., and the N.A.M.T., and have existed only on the fringe of activities" (Anderson, 1936; 1985, p. 27).

Fran Weeks describes the "lengthy letters" which accompanied some of the survey responses:

The correspondence was not encouraging. One of the questions was, "Should we form our own association?" Seventeen respondents said "Yes," thirty-one said "No," and seven said it was a good idea but the time was not right.

Some of the objections were:

"We're in a depression. Professors can't affor[d] $2.00 to join another association." . . .
"You can't find enough teachers to join." (Andy had said that if he could persuade twenty or thirty to join, he would go ahead.)
"If you pull us out of the NAMT, you will throw us into the arms of the English Teachers." (Some body did not know that Andy was a member of the Illinois English department [Weeks, 1985, p. 16].)

Though the "Yes" votes were distinctly in the minority, six organizers decided "it was time." The organizing committee comprised C. R. "Andy" Anderson, University of Illinois (chair); Edward J. Kilduff, New York University; Nathaniel "Nat" Waring Barnes, Columbia University; Alta Gwinn Saunders, University of Illinois; Robert Ray Aurner, University of Wisconsin; and Louis W. "Mac" McKelvey, Northwestern University.

They printed up letterheads for the "Association of College Teachers of Business Writing" and on May 29, 1936, mailed out the first membership solicitation letter. On June 2, the first dues payment of $2.00 came in from Mac McKelvey of Northwestern. A total of 36 members responded to the first mailing; a second letter brought an additional 30 by the end of December.

The 1936-37 membership roster lists 72 members: one from Canada and 71 from the United States. The names on the list include those of 36 men and 27 women—and 9 names whose initials do not enable me to identify gender. One member lists a business affiliation.

The names on this first membership roster and the list of people who have served as President of the Association bear testimony to Andy's statement, "Practically every leader in the field of Business Writing is a long-time member of ABWA. Very few textbooks are authored by non-members" (Anderson, 1951; 1985, p. 46).

Sources

Sources

Anderson, C. R. (1936, May 29; 1985). Letter to "Dear Colleagues." Rpt. in John D. Pettit, Jr. & Sam J. Bruno (Eds.), 50 Years: Golden Anniversary Commemorative Edition (p. 27). [Denton, TX: ABC.]

Anderson, C. R. (1951, October 26; 1985). Letter to Algerine Falana. Rpt. in John D. Pettit, Jr. & Sam J. Bruno (Eds.), 50 Years: Golden Anniversary Commemorative Edition (pp. 45–46). [Denton, TX: ABC.]

Anderson, C. R. (1960, December 28; 1985). The early years of ABWA: Banquet address celebrating the 25th anniversary. Rpt. in John D. Pettit, Jr. & Sam J. Bruno (Eds.), 50 Years: Golden Anniversary Commemorative Edition (pp. 11–14). [Denton, TX: ABC.]

Weeks, F. W. (1985). Crisis and milestones: ABWA—ABCA—ABC. In John D. Pettit, Jr. & Sam J. Bruno (Eds.), 50 Years: Golden Anniversary Commemorative Edition (pp. 15–22). [Denton, TX: ABC.]

Early Dues and Members

The Depression-era dues of $2 lasted until 1948, when dues were raised to $3; in the 1950s, they rose to $5.

In 1968, Fran recalls, "we were so low on finances that we could barely pay the printing bill. As an emergency measure, we created a $100 life membership and raised enough money to keep us solvent for the rest of the year" (Weeks, 1985, p. 20). Some 38 Life Members are still on ABC's rosters. Regular dues were also raised, first to $10, then to $15 in 1971, and to $20 by 1976. In 1987, the Board voted to raise dues (then $35) to $40. At its 1995 meeting in Orlando, the Board raised dues again, effective January 1, 1996. By 2001, dues had doubled to $80. Even at that rate, ABC remains a great value compared to other professional organizations.

Just as dues have grown, so has membership. At the end of 1936, ABWA had 66 charter members. In 1938, "Cy" Frailey of Dartnell Publications became the 100th member. The Association's membership topped 1,000 for the first time in 1969. In September 2002, we have approximately 1200 individual members and 900 institutional members (mostly libraries).

In the past 65 years, the range of ABC's members has expanded as well. In 1937, all ABWA members were North American: one from Canada and 71 from the United States. By contrast, in 2002, 20% of all ABC membership are from Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. In the early days, the Association was also wary of accepting business people as members. In fact, ABWA's founders, unhappy with organizations dominated by business people, offered full voting membership only to college teachers. When Andy retired in 1971, the constitution was changed to grant full privileges to all members. Today, our membership includes not only teachers but also independent communication consultants and business practitioners.

Publication History

The first (and only) ACTBW Bulletin appeared in December 1936. The first ABWA Bulletin appeared in 1937. As the organization's name changed, so did The Bulletins: it became The ABCA Bulletin and then The ABC Bulletin. In 1994, the Board of Directors approved changing the name to Business Communication Quarterly, and, in 2014, to Business and Professional Communication Quarterly.

The first Journal of Business Communication was published in October 1963 (retitled International Journal of Business Communication in 2014). Now many journals publish research in business, management, and professional communication, but for decades, JBC was the only journal specifically devoted to business communication.

Full-text access to both journals are available to ABC members.

Early on, ABC also got into the business of publishing books. By 1985 ABC (and its precursors) had published 21 books. ABC's Communication and Technology: Today and Tomorrow, was our birthday gift to attendees at the 1995 convention in Orlando, FL. Published by Routledge and edited by Janis Forman, The Business Communication Profession: Essays on the Journeys of Leading Teacher-Scholars was a gift for 2023 conference first-time attendees in Denver, CO.

Leadership History

Executive Directors

2011–2021James M. "Jim" DubinskyVirginia Tech

2006–2011Betty S. JohnsonStephen F. Austin State University

1994–2006Robert MyersBaruch College

1990–1994John D. Pettit, Jr.University of North Texas

1984–1990Robert D. GieselmanUniversity of Illinois

1957–1984Francis W. WeeksUniversity of Illinois

1935–1957Chester R. "Andy" AndersonUniversity of Illinois

Past Presidents

ABC Presidents (1985–current)

2023–2024Judith AinsworthMcGill University

2022D. Joel WhalenDePaul University

2020–2021Geert JacobsGhent University

2019Marcel RoblesEastern Kentucky University

2018Lisa Gueldenzoph SnyderNorth Carolina A & T University

2017Deborah RoebuckKennesaw State University

2016Bertha Du-BabcockCity University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

2015Peter W. CardonUniversity of Southern California

2014Kathryn RentzUniversity of Cincinnati

2013Nancy SchulleryWestern Michigan University

2012Hiromitsu HayashidaChuo University, Japan

2011Gerry HynesSam Houston State University

2010Deborah ValentineEmory University

2009James M. "Jim" DubinskyVirginia Tech

2008Roger ConawayUniversity of Texas at Tyler

2007Jacqueline HarrisonUNITEC Institute of Technology

2006Marsha BaylessStephen F. Austin State University

2005Randy BarkerVirginia Commonwealth University

2004Linda BeamerCalifornia State University at Los Angeles

2003Marie FlatleySan Diego State University

2002Barbara ShwomNorthwestern University

2001Iris VarnerIllinois State University

2000Lamar ReinschGeorgetown University

1999Josephine ChargoisHoward University

1998Betty JohnsonStephen F. Austin State University

1997David VictorEastern Michigan University

1996Daphne JamesonCornell University

1995Kitty LockerOhio State University

1994Jeanette GilsdorfCalifornia State University at Long Beach

1993Bernadine BranchawWestern Michigan University

1992Ray BeswickSyncrude Canada Ltd.

1991Bob MyersBaruch College

1990Gretchen VikSan Diego State University

1989John PenroseSan Diego State University

1988Glen PearceVirginia Commonwealth University

1987David BatemanSouthern Illinois University

1986Lois BachmanCommunity College of Philadelphia

1985Patricia WellsOregon State University

ABCA Presidents (1984–1969)

1984Phillip V. LewisAbilene Christian University

1983Herbert W. HildebrandtUniversity of Michigan

1982Larry D. HartmanZenith Data Systems, Chicago

1981E. Rennie CharlesRyerson Polytechnic Institute, Canada

1980Lilian O. FeinbergIowa State University

1979John D. Pettit, Jr.North Texas State University

1978Lucian SpataroOhio University

1977Arno KnapperUniversity of Kansas

1976John W. GouldUniversity of Southern California

1975Jean VoylesGeorgia State University

1974William J. Lord, Jr.University of Texas at Austin

1973Leland BrownEastern Michigan University

1972William A. DamerstPennsylvania State University

1971Morris P. WolfUniversity of Houston

1970Karl M. MurphyGeorgia Institute of Technology

1969Richard S. PerryEastern Oregon University

American Business Writing Association Presidents (1968–1937) · Chairman (1936)

1968Michael PorteUniversity of Cincinnati

1967Robert D. HayUniversity of Arkansas

1966Homer CoxUniversity of Colorado

1965Virgil HarderWashington University

1964Norman B. SigbandDePaul University

1963Dorothea ChandlerSyracuse University

1962Frank DevlinJohn Carroll University

1961Raymond V. LesikarLouisiana State University

1960Doris SponsellerOhio University

1959E. Glenn GriffinPurdue University

1958Erwin M. KeithleyUniversity of California, Los Angeles

1957R. C. GerfenNorthwestern University

1956K. B. HorningUniversity of Oklahoma

1955Sally B. MayburyUniversity of Vermont

1954C. W. WilkensonMichigan State University

1954John BallMiami University

1953Lyda McHenry ChamberlinWayne State University

1951J. H. MenningUniversity of Alabama

1950J. H. MenningUniversity of Alabama (served 2 years when changing to calendar year)

1949J. H. JanisNew York University

1948A. L. CosgroveUniversity of Oklahoma

1947C. C. ParkhurstBoston University

1946L. W. McKelveyNorthwestern University

1943–1945W. H. ButterfieldUniversity of Oklahoma (served 3 years during WWII)

1942Roy DavisBoston University

1941Alta Gwinn SaundersUniversity of Illinois

1940W. P. BoydUniversity of Texas

1939R. R. AurnerUniversity of Wisconsin

1938E. J. KilduffNew York University

1937C. R. "Chesty" Anderson (chairman)University of Illinois

1936C. R. "Chesty" Anderson (chairman)University of Illinois