The Society was founded September 12, 1914. Its first president was David W. Gall and among its original 78 members were West Virginia's two U.S. Senators, Nathan B. Scott and Davis Elkins. According to its First Constitution, the object of the Society was "...to foster and encourage a fraternal spirit among the West Virginians of the National Capital." From the outset the organization was "non-political and non-sectarian."
In 1939, members of several State Societies realized the benefits which could be derived through coordinated effort. Informal meetings of officers were held during the next decade. In the late forties, a Conference of State Societies was organized. The Conference was formally created on April 3, 1952, by an Act of Congress (66 Stat. 41 P.L. 82-293, HR4467). It was subsequently incorporated within the District of Columbia. On July 5, 1968, the name was changed to the National Conference of State Societies (82 Stat. 292, P.L. 90-382).
The West Virginia Society of Washington, DC has been honored to have had four Presidents of the National Conference of State Societies: Col. Hever Rice, 1953-54; Honorable James Kee, 1959-60; R. Rex Marshall, 1976-77; and Gary L. Crayton, 1991-92. The Society was honored by the presence of the President of the United States at a dinner in 1978, and in that same year received the coveted Haines Award from the National Conference of State Societies as the outstanding State Society for 1977-78.
1963-64 Honorable Robert C. Byrd
1965-66 Helen Holt
1967-68 James R Burton*
1968-69 Richard W. Kyle*
1969-70 Gene E. McCoy
1970-71 Kathryn M. Keeney
1971-73 R Rex Marshall*
1973 Zan C. White
1973-75 Hugh E. Beeghly*
1975-76 Col. John F. Nicholas, Jr. (Ret)
1977-78 Forbes W. Blair*
1978-79 Nancy L. Hickman
1979-80 George G. Potts*
1980-82 James B. Huggins
1982-83 Dr. Robert M. Schaffner*
1983-85 Honorable Nick J. Rahall, II
1985-86 Judge Hu S. Vandervort, Jr.
1986-88 Paula Young Smith
1988-89 Honorable Alan B. Mollohan
1989-90 Gary L. Crayton
1990-91 Ric Fenton
1991-92 James W. DeFrance
1992-93 Honorable Robert E. Wise, Jr.
1993-94 Honorable David M. Staton (Mick)
1994-96 BGen. James A. Herbert (Ret)
1996-97 Edna A. Falbo
1997-98 Gary L. Crayton
1998-99 Gary L. Crayton
1999-01Richard French
2001–04 Michael Bowman
2004–07 Aubrey King