A Guide to the Press Women of Texas Records, 1909-2003


Descriptive Summary
	Creator:	Press Women of Texas
	Title:	Press Women of Texas Records
	Dates:	1909-2003
	Abstract:	Reports, minutes, newsletters, scrapbooks, transcripts, and audiocassettes comprise the Press Women of Texas Records, 1909-2003, which document the operations, meetings, and purpose of the statewide women’s journalism association.
	Accession No.:	1927; 73-63; 80-23; 84-180; 84-232; 86-180; 90-68; 93-336; 96-218; 2000-039; 2002-070; 2003-157; 2011-107
	Extent:	8 ft., 5 in.
	Language:	Materials are written in English.
	Repository:	Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The University of Texas at Austin

Historical Note

The Press Women of Texas was founded in 1893 as the Texas Press Women’s Association. While at a Texas Press Association convention in May of 1893, Aurelia H. Mohl of the Houston Post called for the organization of a women’s association of writers. One of the first statewide groups for women, the association originally was founded to promote and encourage Texas women writers and illustrators professionally. At first the membership of the organization was open to all kinds of writers including authors and poets, but after 1941 the membership was restricted to those women actively engaged in the newspaper industry. Early on, the association successfully lobbied the University of Texas at Austin to create a school of journalism.

In 1961, the organization incorporated as a nonprofit under the name Texas Press Women. However, in 1995 they changed their name again to Texas Professional Communicators. Since 2002, the organization has operated under the name, Press Women of Texas. and has been an affiliate of the National Federation of Press Women since 1938.

The Press Women of Texas defend First Amendment rights and promote professional excellence, ethical standards, and equal opportunity in the field of journalism. Today the membership of the Press Women of Texas include professional journalists, writers, or communicators working in the field of communication such as newspaper, magazine, radio, television, web, advertising, and marketing. Furthermore, the organization sponsors numerous scholarships, contests, and endowments to foster the improvement of the field.

Sources:

Anderson, H. Allen. “Texas Press Women,”Handbook of Texas OnlineAccessed April 21, 2011. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/TT/eat3.html.

Press Women of Texas. "Restated Bylaws," Press Women of Texas. Accessed on June 21, 2010. http://www.presswomenoftexas.org/Home/members-only.

Scope and Contents

Reports, minutes, newsletters, scrapbooks, transcripts, and audiocassettes comprise the Press Women of Texas Records, 1909-2001, which document the operations, meetings, and purpose of the statewide women’s journalism association. They contain the reports and minutes of various state conferences and board meetings. Furthermore, the records include material pertaining to presidents, vice presidents, and secretaries of the Press Women of Texas, as well as the records of the San Antonio/Austin chapter of the association from the 1970s until 2000. Finally, the records’ voluminous scrapbooks and oral history audiocassettes relate to the history of the organization from 1910 to the 1970s.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research use.


Index Terms

	Subjects (Persons)
		Mohl, Aurelia Hadley.
	Subjects (Organizations)
		Press Women of Texas--Archives.
		Texas Professional Communicators--Archives.
		Texas Press Women--Archives.
		Texas Pres Women’s Association--Archives
		National Federation of Press Women
	Subjects
		Women in journalism--United States--Societies, etc.--History--20th century.
	Places
		Austin (Tex.)
		San Antonio (Tex.)

Related Material


	See also Texas Press Association Records

Separated Material


	Some material separated to the Artifact Collection.