In the spring of 1971, the Fairfax County Adult Education Program offered a course in genealogy taught by Nettie Schreiner-Yantis, a respected author, teacher, and genealogist. The students who signed up were encouraged to get together outside of class to help each other with their research. They met regularly throughout the course and when it was over, they opted to continue the meetings. The first organizational meeting of the ‘study group’ was held on December 6, 1972, at the Vienna Community Center where they discussed their interest in becoming a genealogy club and made plans.
1975 marked the transition from the study group to a “Club.” Dues were set at $2.00. The organization grew during the late 1970’s and the list of past speakers reads like a “Who’s Who” of genealogists in the National Capital area. It was also during that time that Jane Wall undertook the long and tedious job of visiting and transcribing all the cemeteries in Fairfax County. Many of these cemeteries were small family graveyards and have since been destroyed by construction. Her work can be found in Central Library in Fairfax.
In 1984, the club marked its 10th year of existence and became a non-profit organization, adopting a crest for its logo. The Society continued to grow throughout the 1980’s and 90’s, and into the 21st century, especially as the computers revolutionized genealogy. In 2020 the Society adopted a new logo reflecting a more modern approach to genealogy. From its tiny beginnings in 1971, the Society now numbers over 400 members and has become one of the preeminent local genealogical societies in the country.