A Guide to the Women Faculty and Administrators Organization (WFAO) Records, 1989-1997

Administrative History

The Women Faculty and Administrators Organization (WFAO) was created in the early 1990’s following the August 15, 1989 release of a study by a committee appointed by Dr. Charles LeMaistre, then President of M. D. Anderson, concerning the status of women and minority faculty members. “That committee soon split into two groups: 1) Minority Faculty and Administrators Committee; and, 2) the Women Faculty and Administrators Organization (WFAO) (Messenger May/June 2004)." The WFAO was a 1991 merger of the Women Faculty Organization (WFO) and the Women Administrators Organization (WAO).

The first Steering Committee Meeting of the WFO was July 19, 1991. Margaret Kripke, Ph.D. was the WFO’s first Chairman. Dr. Kripke later became the Executive Vice President and Chief Academic Officer at M. D. Anderson, a post at the highest level of Senior Leadership at M. D. Anderson; she retired a few years ago after 24 years of service to the institution. Among the founding members was Dr. Elizabeth Travis, whose tenure with the group was longer than any other founding member. Dr. Travis is now Associate Vice President of the Department of Women Faculty Programs and was recently awarded the AAMC 2009 Women in Medicine Leadership Development Award. “The award. . . honors Travis’s dedication to and accomplishments in academic leadership and developing women leaders (Employee Notes August 3, 2009)." The descendant of WFAO, OFW (Organization for Women), and other such groups promoting diversity are now guided by the Office of Institutional Diversity at M. D. Anderson.

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Scope and Content Note

The files for WFAO are roughly in chronological order and cover the organization’s history from 1989-1997. They begin in 1989 with records from Dr. Margaret Kripke, later include documents from Letericia Smith, Sandra Sims, Jo Ann Ward, Nancy Pittman, Kathy Mason, Sara Jackson, then the remainder and bulk of the records beginning in 1990 are from Dr. ElizabethTravis. Essentially, the chronology starts again with the addition of each record donor’s documents.

The documents within are comprised of the initial committee report: "Final Report, Committee to Evaluate the Status of Minority and Women Faculty and Administrators”; surveys, questionnaires, results; agenda and minutes at all levels: annual meetings and sub-committee meetings; correspondence concerning Special Issues, including invitations and correspondence with the UT Chancellor (Dr. Cunningham) and certain Regents; press clippings and magazine articles; information about issue awareness programs (e.g., “Take your daughter to work” and “Race for the Cure”); fundraising events; public awareness projects; community leader lists; membership lists; event planning correspondence; advisory board lists; election information; committee membership lists; a few financial documents.

The documents reveal the development of the organization’s mission and its efforts to solicit support and credibility; identifies certain concerns for women faculty; details how those concerns might be addressed; documents growing public acceptance of its mission through news clippings and other articles; accumulates statistics to justify its mission; grows in eminence as changes within the organization begin to respond to the societal changes without; seeks senior leadership and community visibility; organizes communication with leadership and organizes fundraising events; formalizes and develops by-laws, has regular meetings, organizes sub-committees, keeps minutes, develops a budget, expends funds, becomes an established organization, changes priorities (from child-care and women’s health issues to increased recruiting efforts and chairmanships.)

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Some of the documents are Confidential, containing personnel information and social security numbers which should be restricted from review by others. Please see archivist for details.

Restrictions on Use

All requests for copying of materials must be submitted to the Historical Resources Center in writing for approval. All reproductions will be handled by HRC staff

Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce must be obtained in writing by the Historical Resources Center

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Separated Material

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Women Faculty and Administrators Organization Records, 1989-1997, Research Medical Library, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Joyce Ann Fugit, Texas Woman's University Intern, Summer 2009

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Detailed Description of the Records

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