9 to 5: Stenographer

Photograph of Leona Shankroff (stenographer) at her post, New York Agency, c. 1917.

Before the use of computers became commonplace for all employees, most documents were typed by stenographers, a position chiefly occupied by women. Stenographers ensured the clarity of documents, from correspondence to liability lists, by transcribing handwritten statements and taking dictation from other employees. The importance of the role is reflected in its growth. Whereas only one stenographer worked at Montreal Head Office in 1905, there were ten just a few years later.

In a Staff Magazine article, Lena F. Baumgarten recounts her days as one of the first stenographers at Montreal Head Office:

“There was a staff then of around one hundred and not one of them knew how to dictate a letter. So after saying “Dear Sir” for a few times, they would hand the letter – with their notes – to me to compose and write, which I enjoyed doing. My typewriter was a No. 4 Double Keyboard Smith Premier. Every Monday morning a man came and gave it the once over, so it was always in good condition. There was no carbon paper until a few years later. All letters were placed between special sheets of wet paper in a letter-size book, which was then placed in a letter-size iron machine – screwed down tightly – and left there for a good ten minutes or more, when a copy of the letter would be clearly shown on the tissue paper pages….”

Abbreviations from *Stenographer’s Manual*, c. 1955.

Whether employed at a rural branch or at the General Manager’s office, each stenographer needed to be versed in formatting conventions for different types of documents, proper forms of address for correspondence, and the appropriate abbreviations for banking terminology. In an effort to transmit this knowledge to new hires, stenographer Mary Helen Hanrahan wrote the bank’s Stenographer’s Manual in the 1950s, which included more than 80 commonly used abbreviations.

The role also served as a steppingstone for many women, who entered the bank as stenographers and went on to occupy various other roles, such as accountant and department supervisor. Mary Pollock, who started her career as a stenographer, became the first woman in Canada to be appointed Assistant to the Manager in 1957. She was later appointed Credit Services supervisor at Montreal Main branch, where she supervised a staff of eight.

We pay tribute to the women who trailblazed for future generations of women at BMO.