May 1, 2025, marks the 66th year since ATA’s founding!
On May 1, 1959, a group of freelance translators and agency owners gathered for a meeting at New York University for the purpose of chartering a new organization for translators and interpreters. Several weeks later, a name was chosen: the American Translators Association.
ATA has grown to become the largest T&I association in the country, but it has not lost the sense of community that originally brought its founding members together in 1959. Today, our members find connection not just at ATA’s Annual Conference, but through professional development and networking events, memberships in ATA’s various groups, the pages of The ATA Chronicle, and through ATA Newsbriefs and The ATA Digest.
Regardless of time, ATA’s commitment to you remains the same. Regardless of your language, specialization, or level of experience, we’re grateful you’ve made ATA your professional home! It’s you, our members, who truly make a difference.
Take the opportunity today to reflect on your time in ATA and envision your goals. Have you met someone who has inspired you or changed your life? Have you learned ways to make new connections or grow your business? If you’re still figuring out your next steps, remember that your possibilities are endless and that ATA is here to help.
Our advice? Get involved!
You can meet new colleagues, connect through divisions and special interest groups, or volunteer on a committee. It doesn’t really matter how — it just matters that you do! When you share and invest your time, you’ll find that this community invests in you as well.
Celebrate #ATAday!
One way to start is by acknowledging #ATAday with us on social media! Celebrate by connecting with ATA’s new Bluesky account, sharing your experience as an ATA member and a language professional, or by checking out today’s ATAware drop!
We’re glad to have you and hope to hear from you. Happy 66th anniversary to ATA!
Sincerely,
ATA Headquarters