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Article published In: Historiographia Linguistica
Vol. 21:1/2 (1994) ► pp.137–156

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The Saleski family and the founding of the LSA linguistic institutes

 | Michigan State University
 | The University of Hong Kong
Published online: 1 January 1994
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/hl.21.1-2.08fal
Summary
The Linguistic Institutes (LIs) of the Linguistic Society of America (LSA) were first envisaged by R. E. Saleski (1890–1971), an obscure scholar who for a time played a prominent role within the LSA (including the administration of the early LIs), but was inexplicably marginalized around 1931–32. E. H. Sturtevant’s 1940 history of the LI does not even mention Saleski’s name. Saleski proposed a course on “The Sociological Study of Language” for the 1929 LI – an extremely early date for such a course – and we consider the sources of his interest in this and related subjects. In addition to sketching Saleski’s life and career, we examine the careers of his sisters Else and Mary Agnes, like him minor academics, but steadfast members of LSA in its fledgling years.
Résumé
R. E. Saleski (1890–1971), linguiste aujourd’hui presqu’oublié, a conçu les “Linguistic Institutes” (LIs) de la Société de Linguistique d’Amérique (LSA). Vers la fin des années 20 il jouait un rôle important dans la LSA (y compris dans l’administration des premiers LIs), mais il a été marginalisé vers 1931–32 pour des raisons mal expliquées. L’histoire des LIs publiée par E. H. Sturtevant (1940) ne mentionne pas le nom de Saleski. Ce dernier a proposé de donner un cours sur “L’étude sociologique du langage” dans le LI de 1929 – date extrêmement tôt pour un tel cours – et nous examinons ici les sources de son intérêt là-dessus. Nous esquissons la vie et la carrière aussi bien de Saleski que de ses soeurs Else et Mary Agnes, comme lui des professeurs peu connus, mais qui donnaient un support constant à la LSA pendant ses premières années.
Zusammenfassung
Die Linguistischen Institute (LIs) der Linguistic Society of America (LSA) gingen auf einen Vorschlag von R. E. Saleski (1890–1971) zurück, einem obskuren Sprachwissenschaftler, der für eine kurze Zeit eine wichtige Rolle innerhalb der LSA spielte (er war sogar Mitglied der Leitung der frühen LIs). Ab 1931–32 hatte Saleski jedoch aus unbegreiflichen Gründen seine nicht unwichtige Rolle innerhalb der sprachwissenschaftlichen Gemeinschaft eingebüßt. In seiner 1940 verfaßten Geschichte der LIs hat E. H. Sturtevant nicht einmal Saleskis Namen erwähnt. Für das LI des Jahres 1929 hatte Saleski einen Kurs über “Das soziologische Studium der Sprache” vorgeschlagen – ein sehr frühes Datum für einen solchen Vorschlag. Sein Interesse an diesen und verwandten Themen werden in der vorliegenden Studie erforscht. Im Zusammenhang mit Saleskis Leben und Karriere werden auch die Lebenswege seiner Schwestern, Else und Mary Agnes, beide bescheidene, aber treue Mitglieder der LSA während der Gründerjahre, untersucht.
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