The historical society hosts energy education conferences and field trips.

Mission

The American Oil & Gas Historical Society (AOGHS) advocates the preservation of U.S. petroleum exploration and production history through exhibition, preservation – and especially educational programming.

“Community museums, historical societies, and other organizations not only preserve a remarkable history, they serve as ambassadors to an often skeptical public.” – Bruce Wells

The 2007 Oklahoma City conference included a field trip to museums in Seminole and Tulsa — with a stop at the Golden Driller, built in 1953 for the International Petroleum Exposition.

The petroleum industry’s history of social, economic and technological achievements provides an important context for teaching the modern business of meeting energy demand.

To raise awareness of this industry’s history and increase energy education, AOGHS maintains a communication network of museums, historical societies and similar organizations.

View Bruce Wells’s profile

Bruce A. Wells, executive director, bawells@aoghs.org

Kristin L. Wells, senior contributing editor, kwells-aoghs@comcast.net

Join this society’s energy education mission!

Founded by journalist Bruce Wells, AOGHS maintains and energy education network of many diverse energy education organizations and individuals. It is administered as a 501 (c)-3 nonprofit program of the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA).

All AOGHS donations are 100-percent tax deductible (Federal Tax ID: 52-184-9282).

The historical society documents petroleum history – including generations of oil patch families. Articles have featured East Texas, Ohio and West Virginia independent producers, profiling accomplishments of families, historic communities – and oil patch museums. Two 2004 energy education publications, commissioned by the Department of Energy, resulted.

The society published two more than 20,000 “American Oil & Gas Families – East Texas Independents,” and “American Oil & Gas Families – Appalachian Basin Independents.”

Each publication featured communities built on a legacy of petroleum, and the individuals and families who keep the industry productive, providing our nation with domestically produced energy.

Following this research – and recognizing that hundreds of petroleum-related museums and county historical societies lack a communication network, Wells founded the American Oil & Gas Historical Society in June 2003.

AOGHS published a 16-page quarterly newsletter, the “Petroleum Age” until 2009, when IPAA funding for printing and mailing ended. The society’s remaining resources have been directed to this website, which increasingly attracts “unique visitors” every month – more than 7,000 in November 2012.

Awards

Petroleum History Institute “Samuel T. Pees Keeper of the Flame Award,” Titusville, Pennsylvania, August 2009.
Co-chairman, Oil 150 Committee, Oil City, Pennsylvania, 2008-2009.
Titusville Oil Sesquicentennial Parade and Drake Well Museum “Drake Day” VIP, Titusville, August 2009.
Honorary co-chairman 75th Anniversary of East Texas Oil Field Discovery Committee, Kilgore, Texas, 2005.
Special Guest, 35th Annual Sistersville Oil and Gas Festival, Sistersville, West Virginia, 2003.

(202) 857-4785        Fax (202) 857-4799
AOGHS, 3204 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20010

Please support the American Oil & Gas Historical Society with a donation.