The Society was founded as The Entomological Society of Philadelphia and continued as such until 1867 when its name was changed to the above. It was the first entomological society in the United States which is still in existence.

Beginning with the preliminary meeting Feb. 14, 1859, and continuing through the official founding on March 1, 1859, this record runs consecutively to the present. The current volume always remains in the possession of the Society secretary. In the third volume a few meetings are recorded only as “rough minutes” pasted in the back, and of these, the minutes of three meetings seem to have been lost.

No index of these volumes has ever been prepared, and no duplicate copy of the minutes is in existence.