Back in 1924 engineers Carlos I. Lissón, Aurelio Masías, and Jorge A. Broggi discussed the convenience of organizing an institution to gather professionals active or interested in geological sciences. 

Led by their passion for geological research, on June 30, 1924, they summoned thirteen people to further discuss the possible creation of a geological society.  Engineer J. Broggi was entrusted to draft the by-laws for the new association, and it held its first formal session on Monday, July 3, of that same year during which the by-laws were officially approved and the first Board of Directors was elected – under the Chairmanship of Eng. Carlos I. Lissón- and 35 members signed the Statute of Incorporation. 

The first meetings of the Board of Directors were held downtown Lima at Carlos Lissón’s home on Plateros and San Agustin Streets. And thus the Geological Society of Peru was born gathering people attracted by the exceptional talent and expertise of its founding fathers – Lissón, Broggi, and Masías-, who often had to use their own funds to support the expenses of the newly founded Society.   

The Geological Society of Peru was officially recognized through a Supreme Decree promulgated on August 18, 1936. 

Thereafter the Society’s members held meetings at the premises of a number of scientific and technical institutions of Peru. In time, in view of the vast and growing number of books and documents of the Society’s library they sought their own locale in which to meet on a regular basis.  The Society therefore decided to ask the Government of Peru to allocate an office in the same building where it had its offices at the time. 

In September 1928, engineer Carlos A. Portella, then Director and Vice President of the Association of Mining Engineers lent an office in the building of the Association of Mining Engineers as a provisional facility for our Library at Plaza Italia which was later used by the Geological InstituteM of Peru at Habich Square.  Subsequently the Library was later moved to the headquarters of the Geological Institute of Peru  

When the Geological Society of Peru was obliged to move again everyone thought that these difficulties would hamper the Society from continuing its work.  However, Dr. Alberto Giesecke came to the rescue and offered a place he owned at Parque de la Reserva where it operated for some time until Dr. Rosalvina Rivera suggested to buy a place in Jesús María where it now is located.  From there the Society has actively been engaged in promoting and disseminating information and knowledge concerning the geology of Peru.   Dr. Pedro Verástegui, President of the Society in those days pioneered the purchase of the locale. 

In 1944, the Geological Society of Peru promoted and organized the incorporation of the Geological Institute of Peru, predecessor of INGEMMET, also involved in mineral and hydrocarbon prospecting and exploration.   

The SGP has also promoted research on the melting of Andean glaciers and its consequences and has studied how to solve physical vulnerability problems with a special focus on glacier lakes in the Cordillera Blanca. 

The Library of the Geological Society of Peru was set up thanks to the enthusiasm and support of Jorge Broggi, who bequeathed his personal library to the society in his will. This Library currently exchanges publications with 200 institutions around the world, provides services to its members which include professionals, students and the public at large interested in the earth sciences. 

Since its inception, the Geological Society of Peru, a renowned institution of the Iberian-American geological community, has sponsored numerous lectures on a number of topics delivered by its members and other Peruvian and foreign professionals. Up to date, the SGP has published 105 volumes, including newsletters, special publications and anniversary issues on local and international research studies which are an invaluable source of consultation by Geologists in Peru and South America.  The SGP has also fostered and sponsored a considerable amount of field work. 

In its endeavor to acknowledge geological research by university undergraduates, since 1949 the SGP has included “merit competitions on geological papers” entitled “Merit Competition on Geological Thesis”. Since 1954, when the SGP organized the 1st Peruvian Congress of Geology with a relatively small number of geologists and tackling considerable difficulties, twelve congresses have been held with up to 2,000 attendees.  Several members of the Geological Society of Peru have been Ministers and Managers of several Ministries and other governmental agencies, in the field of   Mines and Energy, Hydrocarbons, Agriculture and others, and have also been members of the several university faculties.  This major contribution to the field of geology could only have been possible through the dedication and support of the successive Board of Directors of the Geological Society of Peru.