Until the early 1970s, newspapers published help-wanted ads for men and women in separate categories. A job seeker browsing the Minneapolis Tribune classifieds of April 1970 found employment opportunities for nurses, accounting clerks, bank tellers and beauticians under the heading “106 Help Wanted, Women.” Opportunities in aviation, trucking, welding and the like were listed under “96 Help Wanted, Men.” Three years later, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Pittsburgh ordinance that banned help-wanted ads segregated by sex. “Help Wanted - Female” was history.

Newspapers of the early 20th century allowed customers to place help-wanted ads that specified far more than gender. A few ads from 1906 follow this 1970 story from the Minneapolis Tribune.

Women Protest Sex Labels
in Help-Wanted Ads

About a dozen members of Women against Male Supremacy, a Women’s Liberation organization, picketed the Minneapolis Star and Tribune Company Thursday in protest over the newspapers’ classified advertising policy.

The women complained in a flyer that, by listing help-wanted ads separately for men and women, the newspapers “automatically limit a woman’s job field and direct her to the jobs on the lower-paying end of the scale.”

They contended this violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. They contrasted this policy with that of the New York Times, which combines its help-wanted ads under the heading “Help Wanted — Male-Female.”

Gunnar Rovick, the company’s classified advertising manager, said the ads are separated for the convenience of readers.

Rovick said the Civil Rights Act provides guidelines, not requirements. A court case testing the scope of the act in classified ads is pending, he said.

From the Minneapolis Tribune dated Saturday, Oct. 3, 1906:

HELP WANTED - FEMALE.

WANTED– Middle-aged woman to do general housework for family of four. We have daily mail; connected by telephone. Eight miles from town; will meet an applicant any day. Will pay $5 per week. R.W. Blakesley, Forsyth, Mont.

WANTED– A Scandinavian girl for housework, one who can sleep at home preferred. Call at 2737 Bloomington av. William Johnson.

WANTED– Lady cook to cook for six ladies at Ferry, Mont., colored or white; wages $10 per week.

Workers left St. Paul’s American Hoist and Derrick Co. plant in about 1970. Years ago, my job-hunting sister got a call from a company looking to hire a technical writer. On the phone, it sounded like “American Hoist and Dairy.” We had a hard time figuring out what such a company would manufacture. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

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