About Us
Oklahoma City Geological Society History
Our Founding
The Oklahoma City Geological Society (Society/OCGS) was formally organized in 1921 at a meeting held in the home of Dr. Irving Perrine who was the first formal Curator of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman, OK (1912 to 1915) and a founding member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). The first constitution was a brief legal instrument consisting of four short articles covering the Society’s name, objective, membership requirements and officers. Though just recently formed, the Society became inactive in 1923 and remained that way until 1929 when it was reignited following the 1928 discovery of the Oklahoma City oil field which created a renewed interest in geology. At that time, the OCGS had 48 Charter Members, defined as those who attended the first meeting in 1921 or the reorganization meeting held at the YMCA in May 1929. That same year the Society began holding luncheon and dinner meetings featuring speakers who presented technical talks on a variety of subjects related to geology and oil and gas, but also featured speakers on other topics of interest to the membership. These meetings continue today.
Years of Growth
In 1932 the Society began holding geological field trips in Oklahoma and surrounding states and published related guidebooks. In 1951 the Society began publishing a periodical, The Shale Shaker which is the professional Journal of the Oklahoma City Geological Society. Over the years, the Society has published reference reports on oil and gas fields in Oklahoma and other technical subjects pertaining to geology. The archive of Shale Shaker articles along with many other OCGS publications are available online for current members.
In 1966 the OCGS was incorporated in the State of Oklahoma as the Oklahoma City Geological Society, Inc., a 501(c)(6) non-profit corporation. Also in 1966, the Society purchased a privately owned geological library and designated it as the OCGS Geological Library, a foundational service offering of the recently incorporated organization. The Library was originally located in the Cravens Building (now the Robinson Renaissance Building) where it operated from 1966 until 1978 when it was moved to the Park-Harvey Building (now the Park Harvey Apartments). In 2001 the Library and Society offices were moved to the 9th floor of the former First National Bank Building, now known as the First National Center.
The OCGS Today
Today, while some things always stay the same, we also see ever-changing circumstances and professional challenges for those in the Geoscience and related fields. The Oklahoma City Geological Society is adapting along with our membership by transitioning our member management to an online system. The Society is reducing overhead costs, improving communication and participation, expanding our outreach capabilities, adding more educational services and social events, while better protecting your personal information. We envision the future of the OCGS as both growing membership and participation but also developing a tighter, more connected community of those involved in the Earth Sciences.
In May, 2014, the organization was reincorporated as The Oklahoma City Geological Society, dropping the “Inc.”. The purposes of the Corporation as defined in the filing are:
- To advance the Geological Sciences and the profession of geology in general.
- To promote high ethical standards of conduct among its members and within the profession of Geology.
- To establish standards of education, experience, and professional conduct in the practice of Geology.
- To inform and protect the public from unprofessional practices.
- To monitor activities affecting the Geological Sciences including state and federal activities.
But we need your help! A professional society can’t function without membership participation and so we invite you to consider additional involvement on one of our active committees. Please take the time to update your PROFILE INFORMATION or send us an email at [email protected] if you are interested in helping grow the OCGS.
What does the OCGS do?
- Hosts geological luncheon talks, rotating annual meetings in association with the Mid-Continent Section of the AAPG, and educational short courses and field trips with discounts to membership and sponsors.
- Facilitates professional collaboration and networking through social events, happy hours, and mentoring opportunities.
- In conjunction with the Mid-Continent Section of the AAPG and the Oklahoma Geological Foundation, the Society grants field camp scholarships to geology majors at local universities.
- The Society is active in working with secondary school students on topics related to geology and earth sciences.
What more would you like to see?
The Board’s continual question to ourselves and to our membership is “What value do we provide to our Members?”. If you have a suggestion or idea that would improve the OCGS please email it to us at [email protected].
Mailing Address:
Oklahoma City Geological Society
4 NE 10th St, #402
Oklahoma City, OK 73104
Board of Directors
These individuals currently serve as elected Officers and Directors of the OCGS for 2025.
AAPG Affiliation
The Oklahoma City Geological Society is an affiliate member society of the Mid-Continent Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
