In 1984
The Denver Gem and Mineral Council designated that year's show theme the “Year of the Fossil.” The founders of the Western Interior Paleontological Society, Bryan Cooney and Jordan Sawdo, were asked to organize a speakers symposium for the show and provide space for a
meeting to form a
new paleontological society. The result was the
formation of the Western Interior Paleontological Society (WIPS), a
non-profit organization dedicated to scientific, educational and
charitable activities relating to paleontology.
Thirty-two fossil lovers attended that inaugural meeting. They, and eleven others who came to the second meeting, became WIPS’ charter members. Since its official founding in 1985, the Society has grown to include over 600 members throughout the U.S., North America and the world.
The Founders Symposium was created to honor Sawdo and Cooney — and all the individuals who formed and guided WIPS in its early years.
Learn more about our 2011 Founders symposium