‘Professor Prior’s Modern Language Society’ first met in the Professor’s rooms in St John’s College, Cambridge in 1925. The earliest meetings were private gatherings of those of Professor Prior’s students who had become teachers of modern languages. The Society grew spontaneously from shared professional interest and flourished through its personal appeal and stimulus as its members renewed their contacts with each other once or sometimes twice a year.
In 1929, membership had grown to sixty, and the practice began of sending out Minutes. In 1934, following Professor Prior’s death, a constitution was drawn up and the Society was commemoratively renamed ‘The Oliver Prior Society’. Meetings were suspended for the duration of the Second World War and restarted in 1946.
Under the constitution, membership of the Society is extended to ‘persons who are or have been teachers of modern languages in schools’. In addition, membership is extended to members of the faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages in the University of Cambridge; to members of other institutions connected with the teaching or examining of modern languages, including translating and interpreting; to members of Her Majesty’s cultural missions abroad and to representatives of publishing houses whose work includes the publication of literary and other texts relating to the study of modern languages.
