Who is Emma Empire?

During the 2^nd Annual Conference of the New York State Association of Educational Secretaries (NYSAES) held in Syracuse, NY on September 24-25, 1954, the idea of the Association having a "doll" to represent it at various gatherings of the group was discussed.

Many of the states had such dolls named appropriately for the state they represented and considered "cousins" to Nancy National, the doll which represented the National Association of Educational Secretaries (NAES). It was voted at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting that such a doll should be created. The name EMMA EMPIRE was decided upon - Emma, after Emma Castner of Washington, New Jersey, who was president of the NAES and who had been such help in forming this association and Empire after our own state.

In July 1955, EMMA EMPIRE made her debut at the annual convention of the NAES in Chicago, Illinois. She was presented by Barbara Klumpp who was the New York State delegate. Barbara's mother was responsible for dressing Emma in her authentic Native American costume that she still wears today.

In August 1955 she first appeared in Albany at the Secretaries' Institute and then that October she traveled to Buffalo to be present at the Annual Meeting and Conference of this Association. In 2009 she traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota for the 75^th Anniversary celebration of the National Association of Educational Office Professionals where she "met" her counterparts from across the United States.

Since the 2014 Conference, Emma has been traveling the state, attending dinner meetings for the Broome-Tioga Association of Educational Office Professionals, the Chautauqua County Association of Educational Office Professionals, and the Erie County Association of Educational Office Professionals. In 2015 She visited Buffalo, New York for the 2015 NAEOP Conference, and traveled to St. Louis, Missouri for the 2016 NAEOP Conference.

Emma continues to travel to NYSAEOP Annual Meetings and Conferences each year!