In June 1965 a group of dedicated professional artists of the theatre met in Paris, France to create the International Association of Theatre for Children and Youth (ASSITEJ). Four days later ASSITEJ was born, and its story began in Volume I (1964-1975) of this history. Now Volume III covers the years from 1991 to 2005, a period of ASSITEJ's greatest growth, a period of rededication to the Association's original ideals and purpose, and a world-wide expansion under new leadership. The Secretariat also entered the current world in terms of communication and committee activity. ASSITEJ now has over 80 national centers around the world. Its Secretariat is currently in Croatia, and the 15 members of its current Executive Committee (2011-2014) come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Cameroon, Croatia, Germany, Iceland, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, United Kingdom, and USA. Volume III completes this History of the first forty years of the existence of ASSITEJ. NAT EEK, PhD is a Regents Professor Emeritus of Drama, and Dean Emeritus of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. He was personally involved in the first ten years of ASSITEJ, as a member of the Executive Committee, a Vice-President, and ultimately its President. He was named Honorary President of ASSITEJ. He has attended all the International Congresses of this History with the exception of the Moscow Congress in 1984. KIM PETER KOVAC, an MFA graduate of the University of Texas - Austin, is Producing Director of the Kennedy Center Theater for Young Audiences in Washington, DC, which commissions, produces, and presents productions for young audiences. Since 2002 he has been on the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ/Int'l serving as Vice-President. He has conducted seminars on TYA both nationally and internationally. In 2011 he co-founded Write Local. Play Global, an international network for playwrights for young audiences, which presently has over 500 members in 64 countries. KATHERINE KRYZS is the Curator of the Child Drama Collection and Theatre Specialist for the Arizona State University Libraries, where the archives of ASSITEJ/USA and personal documentation about ASSITEJ are held. Her archival training includes The Modern Archive Institute at the National Archives in Washington, DC. She has also attended several of the International Congresses.

In June 1965 a group of dedicated professional artists of the theatre met in Paris, France, to create the International Association of Theatre for Children and Youth (ASSITEJ). Four days later ASSITEJ was born, and its story began in "Discovering A New Audience For Theatre, Volume I (1964 - 1975)." Now Volume II covers the years from 1976 - 1990 a period of the greatest divisiveness, which ultimately resulted in a rededication and a worldwide expansion under new leadership. ASSITEJ now has over 80 national centers around the world. Its Secretariat is currently in Croatia, and the members of its current Executive Committee (2008 - 2011) come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, USA, and Zambia. Volume III will complete this history, and will cover the years from 1991 - 2005, completing a history of the first forty years of the existence of ASSITEJ. Nat Eek, PhD is a Regents Professor Emeritus of Drama, and Dean Emeritus of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. He was personally involved in the first ten years of ASSITEJ, as a member of the Executive Committee, a Vice-President, and ultimately its President. He was named Honorary President of ASSITEJ. He has attended all the International Congresses of this History with the exception of the Moscow Congress in 1984. Ann Shaw, EdD is an Associate Professor Emerita from Queens College of the City College of New York, a research historian of ASSITEJ, an Honorary Member of ASSITEJ International, an authority in creative dramatics and theatre for the handicapped, a former Vice-President of ASSITEJ and Founding President of ASSITEJ/USA (now TYA/USA), the USA national center for ASSITEJ. She has attended the International Congresses of this History in 1972, and from 1978 through 2005. Katherine Kryzs is the Curator of the Child Drama Collection and Theatre Specialist for the Arizona State University Libraries, where the archives of ASSITEJ/USA and personal documentation about ASSITEJ are held. Her archival training includes The Modern Archive Institute at the National Archives in Washington, DC. She has also attended several of the International Congresses.

In June 1965, a group of dedicated professional artists of the theatre met in Paris, France to create the International Association of Theatre for Children and Youth (ASSITEJ). Four days later ASSITEJ was born, and ten years later the organization boasted a total of 28 National Centers in Europe, the mid-East, the Far East, and North and South America. This is their story told meeting by meeting. Leadership in the new organization had come from Great Britain, France, Russia, East Germany, Romania, and the United States. During these ten formative years the world went from an open discovery of new theatrical cultures dedicated to the art of theatre for young people after WWII to a divided membership that found itself lining up politically East to West but still functioning. ASSITEJ currently has over 80 national centers around the world. Its Secretariat is in Sweden, and the members of its current Executive Committee (2005-2008) come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, and Zambia. Volume I covers the years from 1964 through 1975. Volume II will cover the years from 1976 to 1990, and Volume III the years from 1991 to 2005. Nat Eek, PhD, is a Regents Professor Emeritus of Drama, and Dean Emeritus of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma. He was personally involved in these formative years, as a member of the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ, a Vice-President, and ultimately its President. In 1988 he was named Honorary President of ASSITEJ. He participated in the events that made ASSITEJ a highly regarded international association dedicated to the art of theatre for young people. Ann Shaw, EdD, is a Associate Professor Emerita from Queens College of the City College of New York, a research historian of ASSITEJ, an Honorary Member of ASSITEJ International, an authority in creative dramatics and theatre for the handicapped, a former Vice-President of ASSITEJ and Founding President of ASSITEJ/USA, the USA national center for ASSITEJ. Katherine Krzys is the Curator of the Child Drama Collection and Theatre Specialist for the Arizona State University Libraries, where the archives of ASSITEJ/USA and personal documentation about ASSITEJ are held. Her archival training includes The Modern Archive Institute at the National Archives in Washington, DC.