The OSWP was started by a group of 18 people on February, 1954 by a meeting at Grete Evans' home. .
The next meeting, in March, held at the Phipps potting shed, determined the organizational structure and
content of the meetings to be held on the third Sunday every other month. Even without faxes or email there
were 125 prospective members who attended. The Constitution and By-Laws were adopted along with
application for membership to the American Orchid Society made. Mrs. Evans was elected the first president of
the new organization at it first formal meeting in May. July, 1954 the OSWP was accepted as a member of the
AOS. The first year there were talks on orchid culture and a trip to Riverview Orchids.
The first banquet was held in January, 1955 at Gateway Plaza Restaurant. The cost in 1955...$3.85/person
including gratuities.! The first show was held at the Pittsburgh Garden Center (now the Phipps Garden Centre)
January 15, 1956.
In the early days of the Society there was no newsletter. Communication was largely dependant upon verbal
exchange at the bi-monthly meetings held at members homes. The first newsletter started in July 1967 under
the joint editorship of Jean Misner and Jack Read. Since then the society has at least 14 editors. Some years
the editor didn't identify him/herself!
The first Awards Study group was started in 1978. It was restarted last year, 2003. The Mini-Class held
before the regularly scheduled meeting started January, 1978. First speaker...Dennis Licht. The youngest
group offered by our Society is the Cultural Study Group. Started in 1981, it was originally known as The
Horticultural Study Group but wasn't long before it's name was shortened to the Cultural Study Group.
The OSWP hosted the Eastern Orchid Conference ( EOC) twice, in 1985 and 1999. Dinner entertainment
during theses EOCs was the "famous" Phalaenopsis Phollies, performed by members of the OSWP.
1990: Phipps orchid collection is revitalized by five years of hard work and fun by the OSWP members.
1994: 40th Anniversary is celebrated with a costume party and internationally known speaker.
1999: Eastern Orchid Congress again sponsored by the OSWP at the Sheraton in Cranberry.
2002: OSWP entered cyberspace with www.oswp.org, its ownweb site.
2004 OSWP is 50 years old and growing!