ABSTRACT
The international auxiliary language movement and American linguistics were able to maintain a connection only so long as American linguistics was not fully professionalized. Indeed, the first fifteen years of IALA’s existence happened to correspond exactly to a fifteen year window-of-opportunity for cooperation — from 1924 to 1939-that is, from the founding of the LSA to its declaration of autonomy in 1939, the year it held its first independent meeting, not conducted in conjunction with any other professional society.
