Guide to the Association of Council Secretaries Records

The Association of Council Secretaries, 1915-1971, files date primarily from 1940 to 1970. The papers are chiefly those of John B. Ketcham, director of field administration of the International Council of Religious Education and later executive director of the NCC's Department for Councils of Churches. There is also a small amount of material from the files of H. Conrad Hoyer, associate executive director of the Department for Councils of Churches. Both Ketcham and Hoyer were ex-officio members of the Executive Committee of ACS. In addition there is a small amount of papers belonging to Walter R. Mee, president of the Association of Executive Secretaries.

The files are arranged alphabetically by subject, name of individual, or name of organization. Items within the files are arranged chronologically by year, month, and day. Partially dated material is placed at the end of the month or year; undated material is placed after all dated material. Enclosures are placed after their letter of transmittal. Newspaper clippings, unless enclosed with correspondence, are placed at the end of subject files.

The files consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence, memoranda, minutes, reports, constitutions, bylaws, financial statements, budgets, press releases, personnel records, membership lists and applications, citations, newsletters, bills, programs, pamphlets, leaflets, and newspaper clippings.

The files detail the history and activities of the Association. There are extensive documents concerning the annual conferences of ACS, including correspondence, minutes, and reports. There are also files relating to the regional conferences of ACS.

There are files containing correspondence, minutes, and reports which concern the Association of Executive Secretaries and the Employed Council Officers' Association. Several files contain the draft of the "Research Notes" for Ross W. Sanderson's book, Church Cooperation in the United States.

Because of the close working relationship of ACS and the Department for Councils of Churches and its staff, the researcher is also referred to the files of that department.