Today, the American Business Women’s Association spans the nation as the world’s most diverse professional organization for women. Tens of thousands of members gather throughout the country, united by a common goal – to support each other in professional development and career advancement. 

 

ABWA has long been accepted as one of the leading business women’s associations in the United States and its far-reaching influence has touched the lives and careers of so many. It’s incredible to realize that it all began more than 50 years ago, when the term “business woman” was an oddity and an association dedicated to advancing women’s careers was simply unheard of.

 

History in the Making

 

1949 was part of the post-war era and the American boys had come home from World War II, eager to exchange their soldier’s garb for the business attire and workman’s clothing they had left behind.

 

When the men initially had answered the call to arms, an immense gap was created in the American workforce, and the women remaining behind were expected to fill it. When that war whistle blew, women left their homes in droves to serve their country, taking the places of the men who had gone to fight. 

 

World War II was the first time that American women were recognized as a viable factor in the workforce.  But the end of the war meant that women were expected to leave their newfound careers and return to their homes. However, their desire to seek fulfillment as part of the working world was not easily suppressed. 

 

Kansas City, Mo., businessman Hilary A. Bufton Jr. recognized the positive impact women had been having upon the economy. He also realized what a widespread loss it would be to let women fade quietly out of the workforce. But given the times, he knew that they couldn’t go it alone. 

 

“It was my feeling all women were seeking and deserved equal business opportunities,” he later wrote. “They had gained tremendous business knowledge during World War II, through necessity, and I felt that a new organization for all business women was needed.” On Sept. 22, 1949, Bufton and three Kansas City businesswomen incorporated the American Business Women’s Association, and the American workforce was changed forever.

 

Triumph and Tragedy

 

As word about this exciting organization was spreading, new programs and ideas flooded the budding Association. The idea that had taken root in Missouri flourished as women throughout the country discovered the values of networking and professional development that lay behind chapter doors.

 

Then in 1953, tragedy struck the Bufton family. After an extended illness, Hilary and Ruth Bufton’s five-year-old son, Stephen, passed away. An ABWA memorial fund was created in his name, designed to further educational opportunities for members. The Stephen Bufton Memorial Educational Fund grew rapidly, soon becoming one of the Association’s most prominent and far-reaching programs, and still thriving today. 

 

Throughout the decades, the Association continued to grow and prosper. ABWA’s place in American history was cemented when, in 1983, a joint Congressional resolution signed by President Ronald Reagan proclaimed Sept. 22, the date of the Association’s founding, as American Business Women’s Day. The proclamation set aside this date to annually recognize the achievements not only of ABWA members but also the millions of employed women in the United States. 

 

Sadly, Association founder Hilary Bufton Jr. passed away at the age of 66 on May 24, 1985. Thousands of members mourned the death of the man who’d helped so many women to achieve success in the workplace. In January 1986, the Association welcomed his daughter, Carolyn Bufton Elman, as chief executive officer.

 

Blazing Trails into the Future

 

Today, under Elman’s guidance, ABWA continues to serve as the ultimate source of professional development opportunities, networking support and well-deserved recognition for businesswomen. The organization maintains its national headquarters in Kansas City, yet many changes have occurred.

 

“ABWA is not the same association that it was 50 years ago,” says Elman. “By continually reinventing itself, ABWA is able to give women what they want today in a professional organization. We follow business trends very closely, and with years of experience upon which to draw, ABWA is able to provide members with the professional tools they need to stay current and to succeed in today’s market.”

 

The keys to ABWA’s success include developing different membership options and securing critical strategic alliances. Working with such preeminent groups as the prestigious Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which focuses solely on entrepreneurial success, and FranklinCovey, the acclaimed time-management organization, allows ABWA to provide members with exceptional resources at below-market rates.

 

New ground was broken in 2003 with the ABWA-KU MBA Essentials program. This unprecedented learning opportunity provides master’s degree level basics in a variety of critical business subjects. The top-notch curriculum is designed and taught by faculty from the highly regarded University of Kansas School of Business and its KU Center for Management Education.  

 

The new ABWA-KU Management Certificate Series, which debuts in 2005, has been designed for entrepreneurs and professionals who want a deeper knowledge and understanding of the critical issues that lie at the heart of every successful enterprise. These advanced courses are at the master's degree level, but there are no educational prerequisites.

 

For more than a half century, the American Business Women’s Association has been a significant thread woven tightly in the fabric of American history. Its unparalleled success in supporting the dreams and aspirations of workingwomen across the nation shall continue well into the future, changing women’s lives for many years to come.