RT Harders commented on the birth of The Tolkien Society in England in 1969. – This may have been the longest continuously running group. However, I remember being in touch and a member a Tolkien Society in the US. Richard Plotz began the Tolkien Society of America in 1965. – It was with their aid I was able to organize my Tolkien Conference [Conference on Middle-earth {Come to Middle-earth}] in 1969 and again in 1971. – The excellent IMHO collection of papers from the two conferences were published as “A Tolkien Compass” in 1975. – I proudly say I read the books BP = Before Paperback. 
– Oh yes, the ACE edition of TLOTR was NOT!!! a pirated edition.
