Our History

ITW began in 1981 with five core university teachers. These early leaders, inspired during a 1980 meeting of the Indiana College English Association, received grants from the Lilly and from the Indiana Humanities Council to begin the organization and start the first conference. With the creation of the original black and white pen logo, the nation’s first K-college writing teachers’ organization began. It adopted a constitution, brought in new members to form a board, divided into committees, and instituted the Journal of Teaching Writing. IUPUI accepted a long-term affiliation with the organization and aided in supporting a professional staff for the journal studies briefly outlined below.