Contingency approaches to leadership; a symposium held at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, May 17-18, 1973. Edited by James G. Hunt and Lars L. Larson
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Parke, Davis Research Laboratory Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
Collection is open for research but is stored off-site and special arrangements must be made to work with it. Contact the Archives Center for information at archivescenter@si.edu or 202-633-3270.
Collection Rights:
Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
Parke, Davis Research Laboratory Records, Archives Center, National Museum of American History.
These records consist of incoming correspondence and internal memoranda. For outgoing correspondence see Record Unit 167. The records are arranged in a numeric filing
scheme with access by a card index arranged alphabetically by correspondent and subject. It is suspected that the records are incomplete.
Historical Note:
The Administrative Assistant was in charge of the general supervision of the expenditure of United States National Museum (USNM) appropriations; preparing proposals
for supplies; issuing orders for the purchasing of supplies; settlement of accounts; awarding contracts; supervision of non-scientific or specimen-related correspondence;
general supervision of employees, assignments to duty, granting leaves of absence; and conducting boards of inquiry and investigations of complaints. The Administrative Assistant
also acted as special agent and at times was appointed representative of the Museum and the Smithsonian at international expositions. Prior to 1902 the incumbent was known
as Chief Clerk.
William V. Cox was designated as the Museum's first Chief Clerk in 1885. When he left the Museum in 1902 the title of the position was changed to Administrative Assistant,
and William deC. Ravenel was appointed to the post.
14.26 cu. ft. (3 document boxes) (22 tall document boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Letterpress copybooks
Date:
1885-1914
Descriptive Entry:
Records consist of outgoing letterpress book correspondence concerning general fiscal matters, estimates of appropriations, appropriation and expenditure statements;
certified vouchers for the disbursement clerk; and personnel matters including leaves of absence, appointments, promotions, terminations, and salaries; also included are fiscal
records pertaining to USNM exhibits at international expositions. Originally these records had been kept in three separate series, (1) general museum business; (2) personnel;
and (3) copied letters addressed to the Secretary transmitting vouchers for payment. These series were combined at an unknown date and volumes pertaining to exposition financial
matters were added. Most of the correspondence was signed by Cox, and William De C. Ravenel. Other correspondents include Secretaries Samuel P. Langley, and Charles D. Walcott;
executive curator, Frederick William True; and acting chief clerks, J. E. Rockwell, and J. L. Willige. Volumes are individually indexed. A Volume list follows.
Historical Note:
The chief clerk's appointment was an administrative one. Under his charge was the general supervision of the expenditure of United States National Museum appropriations;
preparing proposals for supplies, issuing orders for the purchasing of supplies; settlement of accounts; awarding contracts; supervision over nonscientific or specimen related
correspondence; general supervision of employees, their assignments to duty, granting leaves of absence; and conducting boards of inquiry and investigation of complaints.
The chief clerk also acted as special agent and at times was appointed representative of the Museum and the Smithsonian at international expositions.
William V. Cox, designated chief clerk of the Museum in 1885, was the first and last chief clerk of the Museum. When Cox left the Museum in 1902 the title of the position
was changed to administrative assistant. Duties of the administrative assistant were somewhat modified but the differences between these duties and those of the chief clerk
were never enumerated in the Museum reports.
13.5 cu. ft. (13 record storage boxes) (1 document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Brochures
Clippings
Newspapers
Newsletters
Serials (publications)
Date:
1960-2014
Descriptive Entry:
Joanna Cohan Scherer was employed by the Smithsonian Institution from 1966-2006. She worked at the Smithsonian Office of Anthropology Archives (later known as the National
Anthropological Archives) as a museum technician until 1970 when she was asked to become illustrations researcher of the Handbook of North American Indians, a 20-volume
encyclopedia. She served as the Handbook's illustrations researcher for 36 years until May 2006 when she retired, becoming an emeritus anthropologist. During her tenure
at the Handbook she was responsible for illustrations relating to people and activities (non-artifact illustrations) and did the original research and writing of captions
for the pictures she selected. The Handbook was officially closed December 8, 2007, having published 15 of 20 volumes.
Scherer initiated three legal actions during her employment. The first, February 6, 1974, was a class action and employment discrimination suit on the basis of gender against
the Department of Anthropology. After a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission hearing, the discrimination complaint was found in her favor on March 12, 1975; it was
shown that there had been a climate of discrimination against women in the Department of Anthropology in both hiring and promotion. No woman had ever been hired as a Curator
in the Department of Anthropology despite the large number of professional women in anthropology. As a result of her settlement her employment title was changed from Museum
Specialist to Anthropologist. Also, as a result of her case the first woman curator in anthropology was hired within the year (Adrienne Kaeppler).
In 1976, she filed a reprisal complaint that was heard in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (Scherer vs. Ripley, CA 77-1856). The U.S. District Court
determined that Handbook management had engaged in numerous incidents of reprisal against her and found in her favor on February 11, 1982.
Scherer sued the Smithsonian for reprisal for the third and final time in 2000. This suit was dropped by Scherer as a result of the serious illness and death (in 2002)
of Carolyn Rose who in 2000 had been the supervisor who initiated reprisals against her.
Scherer's papers show that various supervisors harassed her, unfairly critiqued her work, and passed her up for deserved promotions. The contents of her files consist of
performance evaluations, depositions, correspondence with the Handbook staff, witness statements, Scherer's diary notes and daily calendars, general information on
the federal employment of women, and supporting documents such as brochures, booklets, newspapers, clippings, newsletters, and serial publications. These papers also create
a detailed production history of the Handbook of North American Indians. An abbreviated production history written by Scherer is due to be published in Handbook
volume 1, Introduction (edited by Igor Krupnik) scheduled for publication in 2020. The two chapters written or co-authored by Scherer are titled "The Production:1970-2008"
and "The Handbook: A Retrospective."
Managing employee productivity : understanding the supervisor's role in turning poor performance around / consultant, Esther M. Orioli ; with contributions by Ray W. Alvord, Jon E. Smith
