History

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NeMLA was officially recognized after growing out of a New York-Pennsylvania association of faculty organized by William A. Wehmeyer (St. Bonaventure University) at the 1967 Modern Language Association (MLA). He and other MLA members were interested in continuing scholarly discourse at annual conventions smaller than those hosted by the MLA. With F. M. Burelbach as the editor of the NeMLA Newsletter (later Modern Language Studies), Wehmeyer organized conferences in April 1968 and in April 1969 at St. Bonaventure, a Franciscan Catholic university in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, within the Diocese of Buffalo, New York. In 1969, the organization moved to wider regional membership, election of officers, formal affiliation with MLA, and adoption of its present name.

On April 3, 1970, the Inaugural NeMLA Annual Convention took place in Buffalo, NY.
 

Administrative Host Institution

In 2013, NeMLA came back to its original home when the
University at Buffalo, SUNY, College of Arts and Sciences signed a contract to serve as NeMLA’s administrative host institution.

In collaboration with the University at Buffalo, NeMLA inaugurated its very first Undergraduate Forum for its 50th Anniversary Convention in Washington DC (2019).

Every year, NeMLA and the University at Buffalo collaborate with another institution of higher learning in the local city in which the Convention takes place to organize the annual convention.

Local Host Institutions and Past Conventions

2021 - 52nd Annual Convention

2020 - 51st Annual Convention

2019- 50th Anniversary Annual Convention

2018- 49th Annual Convention

2017- 48th Annual Convention

2016- 47th Annual Convention

2015- 46th Annual Convention

2014- 45th Annual Convention

2013- 44th Annual Convention

2012- 43rd Annual Convention

2011- 42nd Annual Convention

2010- 41st Annual Convention

2009- 40th Annual Convention

2008- 39th Annual Convention

2007- 38th Annual Convention

2006- 37th Annual Convention

2005- 36th Annual Convention

2004- 35th Annual Convention

2003- 34th Annual Convention

2002- 33rd Annual Convention

2001- 32nd Annual Convention

2000- 31st Annual Convention

1999- 30th Annual Convention

1998- 29th Annual Convention

1997- 28th Annual Convention

1996- 27th Annual Convention

1995- 26th Annual Convention

1994- 25th Annual Convention

1993- 24th Annual Convention

1992- 23rd Annual Convention

1991- 22nd Annual Convention

1990- 21st Annual Convention

1989- 20th Annual Convention

1988- 19th Annual Convention

1987- 18th Annual Convention

1986- 17th Annual Convention

1985- 16th Annual Convention

1984- 15th Annual Convention

  • March 29-31, Philadelphia, PA
  • Local Host Institution:

1983- 14th Annual Convention

1982- 13th Annual Convention

1981- 12th Annual Convention

1980- 11th Annual Convention

1979- 10th Annual Convention

1978- 9th Annual Convention

1977-8th Annual Convention

1976- 7th Annual Convention

1975- 6th Annual Convention

1974- 5th Annual Convention

1973- 4th Annual Convention

1972- 3rd Annual Convention

1971- 2nd Annual Convention

1970- 1st Annual Convention