Administrative Professionals Day is this Wednesday and while it’s a day to give and show thanks to support staff, the day is rooted in history.

The National Secretaries Association was formed to recognize contributions of secretaries and other administrative personnel. The association also helped attract people to the career and gave support to staff. The group was formed during World War II when there was an increased need for skilled administrative personnel.

Over time the association’s name changed a couple times to reflect changing economies and add a global perspective. It is now, as of 1998, the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Just like the name of the association has changed, so has the name of the day and week to recognize the support staff annually. The first celebration was in 1952 and it was called National Secretaries Week. In 2000, the association renamed it to Administrative Professionals Week to keep up with new job titles and expanding responsibilities.

Take this week and the official day on Wednesday to show some thanks to those administrative professionals who keep our offices running and have longstanding knowledge of business operations.