"In 2014, the West Virginia Oil & Natural Gas Association (WVONGA) executive committee and board discussed the association's 100th anniversary and decided to hold a centennial membership meeting and celebration in 2015. They also agreed to publish a book about the association's first century of service to tell our members, friends, West Virginia citizens, elected officials, and regulators about where we have been and what we have done to make our state a better place in which to live, work and contribute to the economic and social well-being of all West Virginians. Further, we wanted to share stories and photos of our dynamic industry, which has contributed to our country's industrial and manufacturing growth and energy security. The WVONGA executive committee formed a 100th anniversary committee, and it asked me and others to create a book with many photographs, a timeline of historical and industry events, and biographical and company sidebars. It has been a team effort. All of us involved have learned a great deal about the history of the West Virginia oil and gas industry and its dedicated and colorful leaders during our first century of service."--Association website.