The Philosophical Society of Texas for The Collection and Diffusion of Knowledge was founded December 5, 1837, in the Capitol of the Republic of Texas at Houston. The goal was to unite the efforts of the modern day philosophers: the enlightened and patriotic citizens of Texas, distinguished military commanders and travelers, our scholars and men of science, and learned members of the different professions. The Society was incorporated as a non-profit, educational institution on January 18, 1936, by George Waverly Briggs, James Quayle Dealey, Herbert Pickens Gambrell, Samuel Wood Geiser, Lucius Mirabeau Lamar III, Umphrey Lee, Charles Shirley Potts, William Alexander Rhea, Ira Kendrick Stephens, and William Embrey Wrather. On December 5, 1936, formal reorganization was completed. The office of the Society is located in Austin, Texas, and is housed with the Texas State Historical Association. The Texas State Historical Association undertook administration of the Philosophical Society of Texas in 1990.