>I am also of the opinion that most records
>management programs are started or revitalized to address a threat to
>the business and very few are started as a proactive approach or because
>it is the right thing to do for all the right reasons.

I couldn't help but brag about my company, Carrier Corporation, who
instituted its 'records retention' program in August 1950. Prior to that
time, they established a Central Files Room in 1937 when they relocated to
Syracuse, NY from NJ. Esther Harbison was the Central Files Clerk and went
on to become the first records manager. I am the fourth. In May 1951, there
was an article on the records retention program in the employee newsletter,
Carrier Courier, which stated 'the intention of this program is to establish
a definite time retention period for all records, eliminate unnecessary
duplications in filing, cataloguing records for storage, determining what
records are to be microfilmed for space saving and those for security
measures, etc.'

Oh, by the way, I'm the company historian, too. :)

Dianne Hagan
Carrier Corporation

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