Bureau of Vocational Information
The Bureau of Vocational Information (BVI) of New York City was the successor to the
Intercollegiate Bureau of Occupations (IBO). Founded in 1911-1912 by the New York alumnae
associations of what later became known as the Seven Sister colleges (Barnard, Bryn Mawr,
Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, and Wellesley), Wells, and Cornell. The IBO listed
the following as its purposes in its constitution: to secure employment for college women or
other specially equipped persons; to investigate and to do all in its power to develop
opportunities for women and to increase their efficiency in occupations; to establish
close connections with the colleges, especially in advising and informing undergraduates;
to ensure in every way a free and wise choice of occupation.
The IBO published studies on wartime training and on employment opportunities in a number of fields, including the civil service and scientific work. It provided employment information and advice, as well as a placement service for women. In 1915-1916 the organization also offered a course at the New York University School of Commerce entitled, "Women in Industry: Her Opportunities in Business Today." Charlotte Perkins Gilman gave the introductory lecture, which was followed by sessions on opportunities for women in fields ranging from business and social work to the ministry and bacteriology.
In 1919, the IBO was dissolved and the BVI took over its functions. The organization continued to conduct research and provide information to colleges and individual women on career and employment issues. The organization generated the data for their publications by sending out questionnaires to both employers and employees in particular industries. This work led to the publication of numerous studies.
The financial support the BVI received was not, however, sufficient to maintain it. Despite attempts to affiliate with other organizations and to reorganize, the Bureau was dissolved in 1926, leaving a massive research project on secretarial work, begun in 1924, incomplete. The project had gathered both quantitative and qualitative information from employers and employees about secretarial work in almost every state. The questionnaires completed by women working in the field include information about their educational backgrounds, professional training, career paths, and family and personal economic situations. Beatrice Doerschuk who had served as the BVI's Assistant Director and been associated with the organization from 1916-1926 continued working on this study after the organization folded. The resulting manuscript The Woman Secretary was never published.
OCP Resources
Publications, including books
Doerschuk, Beatrice. Women in the law: an analysis of training, practice and salaried positions. New York: The Bureau of Vocational Information, 1920.
Tolman, Mary H. Positions of responsibility in department stores and other retail selling organizations: a study of opportunities for women. New York: Bureau of Vocational Information, 1921.
Doreschuk, Beatrice. Statistical work: a study of opportunities for women. New York: Bureau of Vocational Information, 1921.
Women in chemistry: a study of professional opportunities. New York: Bureau of Vocational Information, 1922.
Training for the professions and allied occupations: facilities available to women in the United States. New York: Bureau of Vocational Information, 1924.
Collier, Virginia MacMakin. Marriage and careers: a study of one hundred women who are wives, mothers, homemakers and professional workers. New York: Channel Bookshop, 1926.
Correspondence and Surveys
The Records of the Bureau of Vocational Information are housed by the Schlesinger Library of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.
Bureau of Vocational Information (New York, N.Y.). Records, 1908-1932: A Finding Aid
- ALL FOLDERS of digitized materials from the Records of the
Bureau of Vocational Information:
- Folder #3: Introduction to the Intercollegiate Bureau of Vocations course on vocations for women at NYU: Women in industry, lecture no. 1. 1915-1916.x
- Folder #34: Materials related to women in agricultural
work. 1914-1922. 32 pages, including:
- The farm woman's problem by Florence E. Ward.
- Agricultural vocations open to women.
- Vocations of women in horticulture and agriculture.
- Help for the farmer.
- The Illinois training farm for women by Tiffany Blake.
- Folder #39: Questionnaires for women agricultural and horticultural workers.
- Folders #141-144: Correspondence with women lawyers regarding
opportunities for women in the legal profession. 1914-1920. Including:
- Folder #141: January 1914-May 1918. (18 letters).
- Folder #142: February 1920-April 1920. (66 letters).
- Folder #143: April 1920-February 1921. (31 letters).
- Folder #144: February 1918-April 1920. (30 letters and interviews).
- Folder #265: Correspondence regarding opportunities in the chemical field for women. 1914-1921. 44 letters.
- Folder #289: Questionnaires regarding chemistry as a vocation for women. 1920.