The Dictionary Society of North America: A History of the Early Years (Part III)

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The present article—in four parts, of which this is the third—is a history of the Dictionary Society of North America (DSNA) in its infancy and youth, thus also a chapter in the history of the language sciences more generally, as well as a contribution to the sociology of organizations. Whereas the first two installments described the founding of DSNA and its leadership, respectively, this installment focuses on its members. First, the membership is characterized demographically and then anecdotally, because motives for membership—as well as lapsed membership—are difficult to determine in the abstract. Also, members are more than numbers, and a partially anecdotal account allows us to see who thought it important to be members of DSNA, or not, and, perhaps, why. Finally, with DSNA’s styles of leadership in mind, that is, recalling this history’s second installment, we hear from members themselves—voices resounding from the archives—about their levels of satisfaction with DSNA and self-estimations of how well they fit into the society. The fourth installment will consider DSNA’s various activities and initiatives from 1977 to 1989, the first “period” of the society’s history.