Margaret Cross Norton

Margaret Cross Norton (July 7, 1891 – May 21, 1984) served as the first State Archivist of Illinois from 1922 to 1957 and co-founded the Society of American Archivists in 1936, where she served as the first vice president from 1936 to 1937 and president from 1943 to 1945. She also served as editor of the American Archivist from 1946 to 1949. Norton was posthumously recognized in the December 1999 American Libraries article naming "100 of the most important leaders we had in the 20th century" for her influence on the archival profession.

Norton promoted the establishment of archives as a profession separate from history or library science and developed the American archival tradition to emphasize an administrator/archivist rather than an historian/archivist. She encouraged learning through experimentation, practical usage, and community discussion. Samuel worked as the deputy county clerk, and Jennie was Winnebago County's deputy county treasurer. As the daughter of civil servants, Norton was accustomed to discussions between her parents on how best to execute their record-keeping responsibilities. Her mother's bookkeeping skills and her father's references to the Illinois Revised Statutes helped Norton recognize the "practical and legal values of local government records". Norton later claimed that her archival philosophy was heavily influenced by her parents' work and household discussions.thumb

Norton obtained her bachelor's and master's degrees in history from the University of Chicago in 1913 and 1914, respectively. and during World War II, if an attack were imminent, the National Archives and Records Administration was prepared to move their most valuable materials to Norton's new building. -Margaret Cross Norton writing to dissent the verbiage put forth by the committee of archival training

Margaret Cross Norton was also a founding member of the Society of American Archivists, acting in a variety of roles throughout her decades-long tenure. Those roles included the society's first vice president from 1936 to 1938, the society's fourth president from 1943 to 1945), and a Council member and editor of the American Archivist from 1937 to 1942 and 1946 respectively. Her activities in the American Historical Association (AHA), the American Library Association (ALA) and the National Association of State Libraries (NASL) are also well documented. Through these associations, she published writings and made public addresses broadcasting her focus on the utilitarian value of archives and a desire to distinguish the archive professionals as separate from historians and librarians.

Pioneer for gender equality In addition to helping the archival field develop as a profession free from historians and librarians, Norton was also a pioneer woman of her time. From 1936 to 1972, only about 15% of chair positions were held by women and female membership in the SAA and other professional associations was very limited. Despite this, Norton made an impact on her colleagues. Her election as the first female president of the SAA was significant for the archival field and women in professional roles. Margaret Cross Norton Fund: The Society of American Archivists uses the donated estate of Ms. Norton as an unrestricted fund "to further the educational activities of the foundation." Margaret Cross Norton Building: Built from 1936 to 1938 and renamed in 1995, the Margaret Cross Norton Building houses 250 years of Illinois state history.

Published works Norton, M. C. (1938) "Catalog Rules: Series for Archives Material." Springfield. Norton, M. C. (1975) "Norton on Archives: the writings of Margaret Cross Norton on archival and records management." Southern Illinois University Press. Norton, M. C. (1996) "Illinois Census Returns, 1820." Clearfield. Norton, M. C. "The Margaret Cross Norton Working Papers", 1924-1973, microfilm edition (Springfield: Illinois State Archives, 1993).