Centennial stamp and slug, 1980–1982

The General Chronological Collection consists of paper documents recording the MLA’s general activities since 1896. The collection is an essential component of the MLA archives and preserves significant activities that do not fit within the parameters of specific offices or record groups (e.g., the MLA Bibliography, Delegate Assembly, etc.). The collection documents the history of the association, including the establishment of its headquarters and archives. The collection also includes a broad range of moments in modern language history, such as the simplified spelling movement of the 1910s and the effects of the World Wars on the profession. The collection includes personal and professional correspondence, memoranda, resolutions, scholarly essays, biographical texts, and telegrams.