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SWACE/SWPA History: 1948-2007
1948 – 1995: The Southwest Placement Association (SWPA)
In 1948, Dr. Charles Clark of the University of Texas at Austin and George Bushong of Southern Methodist University thought the time was ripe to form a placement association in the Southwest.
They extended invitations to colleagues at several colleges to attend an organizational meeting at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas in March of 1948. Seven participated: George Bushong - Southern Methodist University; Joe Farrar - Arkansas State College; Ralph Frede - University of Texas; Bertie Hammond - Texas State College for Women; Frank Ives - University of Oklahoma; T.F. Richardson and Dean E.M. Sowell - Texas Christian University.
To attract attendance at its next formal gathering, the fledgling Southwest Placement Association (SWPA) attached itself to the Texas Personnel and Management Conference in Austin in 1949. A total of forty-four persons interested in or engaged in placement and recruiting turned out.
SWPA’s first officers were elected for 1950: President, W.R. Hudson of the University of Texas, and Ms. Lou Russell of the University of Houston, as Secretary. A Constitution and a “Code of Ethics of Interviewing” were adopted that year, the later was replaced by the “Principles and Practices of College Recruiting” in 1957.
From its early years, members of SWPA played key roles and provided leadership on the national scene in the College Placement Council – CPC (now the National Association of College and Employers – NACE). Many were Directors and Committee Chairs, and six served as Presidents of CPC: Wendell Horsley, 1959-1960; John Brooks, 1963-1964; Elenora Cawthon, 1972-1973; Bob Milsted, 1978-1979; Pete Mann, 1986-1987 and Nick Nabours, 1995-1996. John Brooks also served as President of College Placement Services, Inc. - all significant contributions to the development of the profession.
As the placement and recruiting professions matured, the SWPA grew. Changes were made in its structure and bylaws. In 1971, a complete revision of the bylaws was adopted without a single dissenting vote. Some of the changes were quite significant, including provision for employer members to be eligible for election to office. SWPA itself was restructured as a non-profit, tax exempt corporation.
At the 1972 Annual Meeting, another significant change was adopted granting eligibility for membership to placement officers of two-year and three-year colleges.
The 1973 Annual Conference held in New Orleans celebrated SWPA’s Silver Anniversary, and the first employer member to be elected President, Mr. A. Ray Hengst of the Texas Eastman Company. Throughout the seventies and eighties SWPA enjoyed continued growth, and SWPA members continued to play leadership roles in the profession at the regional and national levels.
1995 - 2007: The Southwest Association of Colleges and Employers (SWACE)
In 1995, the Southwest Placement Association changed its name to the Southwest Association of Colleges and Employers (SWACE) - following similar name changes adopted by the national association from the College Placement Council to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, and each of the other regional associations.
In 1996 the Board of Directors met to formulate the mission, vision and values of the evolving organization adopting the following:
Vision: SWACE is a regional professional association composed of Human Resources and Career Services Professionals committed to integrating our common values in the development and implementation of customer-driven innovative services; sound strategic financial planning and policies; and proactive use of new and emerging technologies.
Mission: The mission of SWACE is to provide professional development, to promote professional and ethical standards, and to foster relationships among Human Resource and Career Services Professionals in order to facilitate the career development and employment of the college-educated workforce.
Purpose: The ultimate purpose of SWACE is to facilitate employment for graduates of colleges and universities located within the region. The association develops standards, procedures and techniques which promote a professional approach to employment and recruiting activities.
In the spring of 1998 SWACE kicked off a year-long recognition of its 50th Anniversary with an annual conference in Dallas and concluded the celebration with its 1999 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In 2001 SWACE partnered with the Rocky Mountain Association of College and Employer (RMACE) on the “SWOCKY” Annual Conference in Keystone, Colorado – SWACE’s first and only joint conference with another regional association.
In 2002 at the Annual Conference in Oklahoma City, President Cheryl Matherly launched what became a 3 year strategic planning process focused on reviewing and assessing SWACE’s past and present and making recommendations for its future. This strategic planning process resulted in revised vision, mission and purpose statements for the association, an action plan for growth and advancement in membership, association services, the annual conference, technology, and leadership cultivation;
Vision: To become recognized nationally for building leaders among professionals involved in the career development and employment of the college-educated workforce.
Mission: To promote professional and ethical standards in recruiting and career services and provide our college and employer members focused, cost-effective and high quality education programs, topical and current professional resources, and ongoing opportunities for issues-driven networking and professional relationship building.
Purpose: The ultimate purpose of SWACE is to facilitate the career development and employment of the college educated workforce in our region by developing leaders in recruiting and career services.
The strategic planning process initiated in 2002 and the resulting plan implemented in 2004 evolved into the discussion, planning and eventual merger with the Southeastern Association of Colleges & Employers (SACE) to form the Southern Association of College and employers (SoACE).
In 2007, SWACE celebrated its final year as a stand alone regional association under the theme “Honoring our Past, Living in the Present, and Preparing for Our Future” and with – the SWACE Jubilee, a final annual meeting at the same site that hosted the very first SWPA annual meeting in 1948 – The Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, TX.
Reflecting on SWACE/SWPA History
Over the course of its history, SWACE/SWPA had 15 employer presidents and 38 presidents from four-year colleges. The first SWPA president – W. R. Hudson of the University of Texas at Austin – was elected in 1950. Ms. Lou Russell of the University of Houston served as the association’s second president in 1951 and was the first of 15 female presidents. Two-term president (1971 & 1972) James McKay of Southern University was the association’s first of four African-American presidents. A Ray Hengst (1974) of Texas Eastman was the first of 16 employers to lead SWPA as President, and in 2005, Lisa (Meltzer) Miller became the first (and only) SWACE president from a two-year college. The last SWACE president was Matt Berndt of the University of Texas at Austin.
From the late 1940s through 2007, career services/placement directors, career advisors and employers in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, helped students to establish realistic career goals and to obtain employment as a start in pursuing their chosen careers, and stayed connected with each other through SWPA/SWACE.
Such was the nature of SWACE, an association of college and industry professionals from diverse backgrounds dedicated to the common goal of helping students make successful transitions from their world of study to the world of work. This rich tradition has carried forward into the newly formed Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE). |
