Margaret Cross Norton: Defining and Redefining Archives and the Archival Profession.

Through her thirty-five years of service as head of the Illinois State Archives, her numerous writings in library and archival publications, and her involvement in the establishment and growth of the Society of American Archivists, Margaret Cross Norton helped establish the archival profession in America. Her emphasis on the legal and administrative functions of archives and on the use of archives by governmental officials instigated a shift in the American archival mindset and provided a basis for professional respect. She defined and redefined the nature of archives and archival work, providing an example for advocacy and education that resonates in the profession today