Administrative Professionals Day
Celebrated on April 25, 2012
Facts
- Administrative Professionals Day is always observed on the Wednesday of Administrative Professionals Week (April 24-30 in 2011).
- Administrative Professionals Day recognizes and celebrates the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, and other office professionals for their contributions to the workplace.
- About 4.1 million secretaries/administrative assistants are part of the U.S. workforce. Approximately 1 percent of them are male. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)
- Hallmark began producing Administrative Professionals Day cards in 1973.
2012 Product Features
- Hallmark offers 31 Administrative Professionals Day cards. Card prices start at 99 cents.
- Some cards are addressed to “secretary” because, according to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), about 7 percent of the administrative workforce uses the title “secretary.” Other cards say “administrative assistant,” and some express gratitude and appreciation without including a title.
- Cards include expressions of appreciation for the administrative professional with sentiments such as “You do so much,” “For someone special,” and “Thanks for making such a difference in every workday.” Messages also reflect administrative professionals’ changing roles and recognize their abilities to multi-task. For example, one card reads: It’s a great day to recognize your many skills and talents for keeping everyone in place and everything in balance.
- Hallmark Sinceramente also offers 12 Spanish-language cards for Administrative Professionals Day. The cards' messages are included in English on the back. Some of these cards are humorous, and some work well for a group of coworkers to send.
- Hallmark.com offers Administrative Professionals Day personalized paper greeting cards, which consumers can customize with their own message and photos. Hallmark can address, stamp and mail the cards on any day the sender chooses.
- Hallmark.com also provides a variety of Administrative Professionals Day e-cards.
- A variety of gifts appropriate for the office, ranging from picture frames to coffee mugs, can be found in Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide to help coworkers show their appreciation. Also available are items for the gardener and sentiment-inspired collectibles and plaques. And to accommodate everybody’s sweet tooth, Hallmark Gold Crown stores offer many confections.
Holiday History
Three people led the effort to create Administrative Professionals Day/Week: Mary Barrett, a past president of the National Secretaries Association – now called the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP); C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation; and Harry F. Klemfuss, public relations account executive at Young & Rubicam.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Charles Sawyer proclaimed the first observance of National Secretaries Week as June 1-7, 1952. Wednesday, June 4, 1952, was designated the first National Secretaries Day. In 1955, the National Secretaries Association changed the dates to the current celebration during the last full week of April.
The name of the observance was changed to Professional Secretaries Day/Week in 1981 when the National Secretaries Association became Professional Secretaries International (PSI).
In 1998, PSI changed the organization’s name to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), and the name of the occasion was changed again in 2000, when the IAAP designated the holiday as Administrative Professionals Day/Week. The name change reflects the changing job titles and expanding responsibilities of today’s administrative workforce.
In Stores
Available at Hallmark Gold Crown® stores nationwide and wherever Hallmark products are sold. Use the store locator on Hallmark.com to find the nearest Hallmark Gold Crown store.