The Philadelphia Society was founded in 1964 by Donald Lipsett in conjunction with
William F. Buckley Jr.,
Milton Friedman,
Frank Meyer, and
Ed Feulner. Former presidents of the Society include:
Henry Regnery,
Edwin Feulner,
Russell Kirk,
Mel Bradford,
Forrest McDonald,
T. Kenneth Cribb,
M. Stanton Evans,
Ellis Sandoz,
Edwin Meese,
Claes G. Ryn,
Midge Decter,
Roger Ream,
Steven F. Hayward,
Lee Edwards, and
George H. Nash. Former trustees of the Society include: William F. Buckley Jr. (1966–1967 and 1971–1974), and
Larry P. Arnn (1994–1997 and 2014–2017). Notable speakers at past meetings of the Society have included:
Larry Arnhart,
Andrew Bacevich,
Wendell Berry,
Robert Bork,
Mel Bradford,
Warren T. Brookes, William F. Buckley Jr.,
Vladimir Bukovsky,
Ronald Coase,
T. Kenneth Cribb, Midge Decter, M. Stanton Evans, Edwin Feulner, Milton Friedman,
George Gilder,
Victor Davis Hanson,
William Hague,
S. I. Hayakawa,
Friedrich von Hayek,
Henry Hazlitt,
W.H. Hutt,
Herman Kahn, Russell Kirk,
Irving Kristol,
Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Forrest McDonald, Edwin Meese, Frank Meyer,
Charles Murray,
Robert Nisbet,
Michael Novak,
Richard Pipes,
Norman Podhoretz, Henry Regnery,
William A. Rusher,
Paul Ryan, Ellis Sandoz,
Shelby Steele,
George J. Stigler,
Terry Teachout,
Edward H. Teller, and
Eric Voegelin. ==Notable members==