John Trim’s association with UCLES (later Cambridge Assessment) lasted 50 years, first as a setter of German translation examinations and later as Chair of the Executive Committee for Examinations in English as a Foreign Language.

According to Dr Nick Saville, Senior Director at Cambridge and colleague of Trim, ‘This was an exciting period in the development of linguistics in Britain and saw the growth of linguistics departments at several of the major British universities. John was part of a group in London in the 1950s which included many of the leading figures, at both UCL and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), and he worked with some of the leading experimental phoneticians of the period.’

The collection comprises mostly documents from John Trim's professional life, including conference addresses, reports, articles, reviews, and correspondence. There is also a series of personal files (UCLES/PP/JLT/5) which dates from his time of study at the University of London, as well as some family material.

Researchers are advised to look into UCLES/PP/JLT/1, 2 and 4 when searching for published articles.