The Illinois Woman's Press Association (IWPA) is an Illinois-based organization of professional women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum.
[2] During May 1885, Marion A. McBride of the Boston Post, press commissioner for the World Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, shared her dream of a national association of women journalists with others at the exposition.
With the country fragmented from the American Civil War and a bleak economy that offered few opportunities for women journalists, benefits were nonexistent and working conditions dire.
[3] After hearing McBride's message, Chicago press correspondent Frances A. Conant returned to Illinois and agreed to recruit other women writers for a local group.
Many of the original group went on to become notable in their fields with founder and member Frances Willard possibly the best known as an author, publisher, editor and writer and president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union.
It was an auxiliary to the Illinois Woman's Alliance which included twenty-four local communities, religious and professional organizations whose goal it was to establish a labor union for working women and children.
[7][8] The organizers of the Association designed it on a broad, liberal foundation with its Constitution drawn to admit writers of all classes: authors, contributors, correspondents and poets as well as journalists.
It was also divided into divisions reflective of the issues of the era and work being done my members: Editors, Reporters, Authors, Correspondents and Contributors, and Publishers.
Born in Galesburg, IL, West had been elected the county superintendent of schools in the state of Illinois in 1873 serving for nine years before moving to Chicago.
Widely known as a book author and Oriental scholar, Reed was a member of the International Society of Orientalists, and chairwoman of the Woman's Congress of Philology.
She orchestrated the home economics sections in 500 newspapers throughout the United States, using various pen names including "Theo Ayers" for different publications.
The profit from the sale of this book raised money during the Great Depression "to be used as a permanent loan fund for the benefit of needy women.
In 1935, with Helen Miller Malloch as its 20th president, IWPA was interested in getting copyright legislation through Congress that would protect women writers whose creative work was being used on radio broadcasts without monetary compensation.
The annual competition honors communications in a wide range of categories both in print and electronic media, books, photography, advertising as well as public relations.
The Silver Feather (Writer of the Year) is the result of contest entrants accumulating the most points earned in the state competition.
[31] First place winning entries compete in the National Federation of Press Women's High School Communications Contest where they earn nationwide recognition.
The first male member, Dr. Eugene Vickery, a poet, medical writer, and book author joined IWPA one hundred years later in 1985.
IWPA celebrated its 125th year by hosting the National Federation of Press Women 2010 Conference[33] at the Union League Club of Chicago.