During the mid-19th century, the necessity for holding an international congress was strongly felt among the community of geologists in Europe and North America.   On the occasion of the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science held in Buffalo, New York, USA, in 1875, a committee was formed to consider the organisation of an international congress on geology.   This committee, composed of leading geoscientists of the time, was later called the Founding Committee of Philadelphia by the French Organising Committee of the First Session in Paris.   The Founding Committee inquired of the Geological Society of France concerning the possibility of organising an international geological convention  during the Paris Exposition in 1878.   The French Geological Society, under President Tournouër, accepted the request and formed an Organising Committee chaired by Professor E. Hébert.  The Committee persuaded the French Government to provide support for convening an international gathering, and subsequently hosted the First International Geological Congress, as one of 32 congresses held by the French Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce in the Trocadero Palace during the Paris Exposition, with 310 members from 23 countries in attendance.

Since then, 31 more congresses have been hosted by more than 21 countries throughout the world, at 3- to 5-year intervals.  The 33rd Session was held on 5 - 14 August 2008 in Oslo, Norway.   The 34th Session is planned for Brisbane, Australia in August, 2012, with the 35th Session to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in 2016.

The International Geological Congress is a non-profit scientific and educational organisation whose meetings are held in collaboration with, and under the auspices and sponsorship of, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).   The IUGS holds its General Assemblies in conjunction with Sessions of the IGC.   The main purpose of the Congress is to encourage the advancement of fundamental and applied research in the earth sciences world-wide.

Founding Committee (1875):
President: James Hall (USA); Secretary: T.Sterry Hunt (Canada)
Members: William B.Rogers (USA), J.William Dawson (Canada), John S.Newberry (USA), Charles H.Hitchcock(USA), Raphael Pumpelly (USA), J.P.Lesley (USA), Thomas H.Huxley (UK), Otto Torell (Sweden), E.H.de Baumhauer (The Netherlands)