Established as the Western Weed Control Conference in 1938, the Western Society of Weed Science was an outgrowth of the Western Plant Quarantine Board meeting held June 9-11, 1936. (The Western Plant Quarantine Board was a group of entomologists and administrators formed to establish quarantine barriers to prevent the introduction of foreign insects, weeds and other pests into the western United States). During a presentation at this meeting, Harry L. Spence of Idaho said "I am taking the liberty of suggesting to your organization that an annual symposium be arranged as a section of the Western Plant Quarantine Board Meeting, whereby you could bring together the men working on weed problems from the various western states. It would aid materially in coordinating the various programs and furnishing a valuable opportunity to interchange suggestions in regards to our many weed problems."

In 1937, representatives from six states met with Vice President Henry A. Wallace in Boise, Idaho, regarding weed problems in the West. It was decided that an annual symposium would be held in conjunction with the Western Plant Quarantine Board meeting, to share information about the activities of the different western states. The first meeting of the Western Weed Control Conference was held June 17-17, 1938, in Denver, Colorado. In early years the Society met annually, except for 1943, when there was no meeting. After 1950, meetings were held in alternate years with only the Research Section meeting in the off years. The Society met in 1962 and 1963, then returned to the alternate year format until 1967, when annual meetings resumed. Also in 1967, a new name for the Conference, the Western Society of Weed Science, was voted in by the membership.

The Society’s objectives are:

• To foster cooperation among state, federal and private agencies in matters of weed science.
• To aid and support commercial, private and public agencies in the solution of weed problems.
• To support legislation governing weed control programs and weed research and education programs.
• To support the Weed Science Society of America and foster state and regional organizations and agencies interested in weed control.

Members of the Western Society of Weed Science are weed science professionals working in the western United States, including the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, and the Canadian provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan. Membership is open to anyone that is interested.

This collection (1960-[ongoing]) includes annual meeting programs, newsletters, and a history of the Society written by Alden S. Crafts covering the years 1936-1954. A published history, The Western Society of Weed Science, 1938-1992 by Arnold P. Appleby can be found under the call number SB610 A66x 1993; related publications are also available: Proceedings of the Western Society of Weed Science (SB610.22 P761).

The collection is listed alphabetically.