The Minorities and Women Section exists because of the commitment of Vince Webb and Robert Bohm to Affirmative Action. During their tenure as presidents of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, 1991-1992 and 1993-1994 respectively, Vince Web and later Robert Bohm tasked the Affirmative Action Committee Chaired by Kaylene Richards Ekeh 1991-1994 to develop a formal written policy to advance the interests of minorities and women. Members of the Affirmative Action Committee gathered signatures and drafted a constitution at the 1991 Denver meeting, presented these to the ACJS Board, which then approved the formation of the section.

The Planning and Programming Committee of the Minorities and Women Section held its first section planning conference at Penn State University, University Park Campus, July 10-12, 1992. The objective of the meeting was two fold: to initiate recommendations for panels, workshops, roundtables, and awards for the 1993 Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Program on "Class, Race, and Gender,"and to establish short-and long-term goals for the development of research, theory and teaching practices on issues relevant to minorities and women in criminal justice (INTERCOM, July 23, 1992). The participants were: Kathleen Barry, Zelma Henriques, Fran Bernat, Rosemary Gido, Lynn Goodstein, Liz Jenkins, Faith Lutze, Rosemary Gido, Robin Harr, Susan Noonan, Kaylene Richards Ekeh, Mary Storr, and Vernetta Young (Meeting Minutes, July 15, 1992).

During the Pittsburg meeting, officers were nominated and later elected. Members agreed that officers would serve for one year only as they ran uncontested. The officers were Chair, Susan Noonan; Vice Chair, Zelma Henriques; Secretary/Treasurer, Rosemary Gido; and Executive Counselors, Faith Lutze, Tina Mawhorr, and Robert Chaires (Letter from Susan Noonan).

The Minorities and Women Section is one of the vehicles for bringing life to the Academy's policy of diversity and inclusion. The Section has operated continuously since its inception and provides a forum for discussing issues relating to minorities and women. In carrying out the Affirmative Action policy for minorities and women, the Section:

• serves as a resource network to further knowledge about minorities and women,
• encourages research and theory development, and
• facilitates development of teaching minorities and women issues.