The Inception of the Idea for establishment of the Southwestern Branch predated the actual recognition of the branch by probably more than 20 years. During this time entomologists of the southwestern states were more or less banded together in the Texas Entomological Society (TES). The history of TES was written by Burke (1980) with considerable emphasis on the activities of the society as they related to gaining branch recognition in the American Association of Economic Entomologists. According to that history, some TES members had in mind when the society was first formed in 1928 that it would eventually become the Southwestern Branch of AAEE. Many of the members of the TES were also members of the Cotton States Branch of AAEE, but for several reasons they believed that this association did not as fully satisfy their needs as their own regional organization would. First, most of the meetings of the Cotton States Branch were held east of the Mississippi River, presenting problems for travel by the southwesterners, The entomologists of the Southwest also were confronted with many insect problems different from those of the Southeast and they thought that these problems could be more effectively addressed by a regional organization.