Records of the RCOG College Secretary / Chief Executive

Papers of the RCOG College Secretary (later Chief Executive) reflecting the changing responsibilities of the role from 1930 to 2009, including correspondence, meeting papers, subject files and reports covering all aspects of the College's work, such as administrative structure and internal meetings, accommodation, lectures and fellowships, the unpublished history of the RCOG by Dr Ornella Moscucci (1987-1999), the publication of the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, arrangements for the British Congress of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, gifts, donations and bequests to the College, relations with external bodies and other medical societies (1958-1990), memorials and obituaries, finances, the establishment of the Faculty of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care (1976-1992), the development of the College's Education Centre (1996-2003), Birthright and Wellbeing of Women (1985-2003), Officer's meetings, and CESDI (1997-2003).

Until 1930 the College did not have a permanent Secretary, but in December 1930 the President recommended that the private secretary of Sir William Fletcher Shaw, Miss W E Mallon be appointed as permanent Secretary to the College. Initially the function of the Secretary was purely administrative; as the College grew in size the Secretary became the senior manager of the College, responsible for general management of the College and all its departments in direct liaison with the College Officers, Council and committee chairmen. As the College Secretary's responsibilities expanded, it became necessary to pass certain functions to other departments or officers (for example, in the 1980's responsibility for overseas affairs was passed to the Vice President). In 1999 a Personnel Officer was appointed, under the overall control of the College Secretary.

The Secretary's role includes attendance at Council meetings, the Finance and Executive Committee and Council elections, control of special funds, operational and management responsibility for major projects, overseeing the production of educational resources for training and continuing professional development, and providing general education development support and advice in a number of forums.

In 2005 the post was renamed as the Chief Executive/Secretary to the Board of Trustees.

Arrangement is roughly chronological within broad subject headings, reflecting the functions performed by the College Secretary’s Office.

Permission is required from senior management of the RCOG for external access to College records less than twenty years old.

Records are copyright of the RCOG and reproduction is at the discretion of the College Archivist.

Early records created by the first Secretary (1930) are mixed with the President's papers while some correspondence of the College Secretary relating to major functions has been removed and placed in subject-based series (see allied materials). Almost all of the records were transferred to the Archive by the College Secretary or Chief Executive's Office; although some items, such as staff handbooks, were transferred from other departments.

Related material held at the RCOG includes:

RCOG/A4 Records of the RCOG President