Court Reporting and Captioning Week is a national celebration of our favorite career! This year, we celebrated during the week of February 9th; and although the official week has passed, the love for court reporting continues 365 days per year.
Activities for this special week are promoted by national groups, such as the NCRA, and local groups. Last year, Susan attended a ceremony at the state Capitol with the governor making an official declaration to kick off the week. This is an annual tradition and occurred again this year with Gov. Reynolds.
Photo courtesy of the Iowa Court Reporters Association
Every year, our office learns a little bit more about the storied history of court reporting. Thanks to the NCRA for sharing little known facts about court reporting:
- The ampersand (&) is one of the earliest examples of shorthand.
- Capturing the record of important proceedings dates back to the fourth century B.C.
- In an emergency situation, broadcast captioners can provide vital information to 48 million Americans who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Court reporting was done by written shorthand until the steno machine was invented by Miles Bartholomew in 1879.
- The first steno machine punched holes into paper until ink was introduced.
While we love the fun facts about court reporting, we also love the little known facts about the Susan Frye Court Reporting firm:
- There are 9 court reporters in the firm, in addition to Joy, who keeps the office running like a well-oiled machine.
- Between every court reporter in the firm, we have nearly 170 years of reporting experience. Melissa Burns wins the gold medal with 41 years of experience, and Susan comes in a close second place.
- The majority of our reporters attended AIB court reporting school.
- We have some avid sports fans in the firm, including the Cubs and Hawkeyes!
- We are the proud mothers of 17 children. It takes a village!
Court reporting will always hold a special place in our hearts. We love the career and the wonderful opportunities it brings us. From meeting with great clients to enjoying time away from the office with co-workers, we can’t imagine a better career.
