Black Buzz News Service
Special Report
Guild Reporter Archives
Pittsburgh, PA
March 20, 2010
The American Newspaper Guild, Pittsburgh Unit, held their Annual Convention in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania in 1951. The article titled "Women and Children First Is Slogan For Special Convention Committee" appeared in the Guild Reporter dated March 23, 1951.
Blogger Black Buzz's mother, Mrs Beatrice Saunders Robinson was the first Black woman in the United States to be appointed as a treasurer to a National Union, which was the Pittsburgh Unit of the American Newspaper Guild of America. Mrs. Robinson was also chairman of the Pittsburgh Courier Unit of the American Newspaper Guild (ANG), and was a member of the executive board of the Pittsburgh Unit of the American Newspaper Guild for 15 years.
For the convention held in Pittsburgh, PA in 1951, Mrs. Robinson was a member of the women's entertainment committee which planned special activities for Guild wives and children during convention week. Other members of the women's entertainment committee were as follows: Ms. Kay Pavanin, Mrs. John Trogus, Mrs. Harold Dietrich, Mrs. Ella Kennihan, Mrs. Arthur Moore, and Ms. Zora Unkovich. The Covention was held June 25-29, 1951.
Women and Children First Is Slogan For Special Convention Committee
Pittsburgh--"Women and children first" is the slogan adopted by the women's entertainment committee for the ANG convention to be held in Pittsburgh the week of June 24.
Headed by Mary Shine Saffer and Helen M. Minear, the committee includes active Guilds women and wives of local Guild officers.
They have planned a full week of entertainment for wives and children of convention delegates.
The kickoff reception will be held on June 24 with the United Steelworkers as hosts. From then on the delegates get busy, and the wives may (hide) themselves (in) the Presidential Suite in the hotel which has been reserved as their private social center.
Members of the women's committee will be there to greet the visitors, serve them tea and crumpets (or beer), play nurse maid to the youngsters and escort the guests on tours, or be their bridge or canasta partners.
Tours will include a visit to the H. J. Heinz plant, to the Duquesne brewery, Civic Center (which includes a visit to the University of Pittsburgh's famed Nationality rooms) and a TV show at Gimbel's.
The Press Photographers annual show will be in progress at Carnegie Art Gallery and Museum, and there will be one of Pittsburgh's unique inclines for those who wish it.
For the youngsters there will be special entertainment at the hotel and trips may be arranged, by request, to the Zoo and (to) one of the large amusement parks.
The Committee hopes that these activities will suffice for the feminine visitors until it's time for the closing cocktail party to be sponsored by the publishers of the Sun Telegraph and Post Gazette.
*Blogger Black Buzz notes that all the Pittsburgh Courier employees were part of the ANG. The Courier Unit of the ANG was headed by my mother, Mrs Beatrice L. Saunders. The pressmen and truckers were part of Jimmy Hoffa's Teamsters. The unionized Courier personnel received the same pay compensation and other terms and conditions of employment as their similarly situated all White colleagues at the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph and the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
I had the pleasure and opportunity of meeting and knowing Mrs. Robert L. Vann, the owner of the famed Pittsburgh Courier. She was quite a remarkable and kind person. I remember eating many berries out of her garden and playing various games at her residence in Oakmont, PA. This great lady, Mrs. Vann was able to obtain a lifeguard job for me at one of the county swimming pools at South Park. I turned down the lifeguard job at South Park, and selected to work at Kennard Pool, which was in my neighborhood in the Hill District section of Pittsburgh, PA.
Mrs. Vann's relationship with my mother was very warm and friendly and was reminiscent more of a mother/daughter relationship as opposed to employer/employee.
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