This is where our great organization was born. It was here that a series of events combined to lead eleven attendees of this convention to form an association and become members of a group that would soon become the International Footprint Association, Inc. 

Word of the association quickly spread at other conventions where the Footprinters set up headquarters and held open houses for the entertainment and good fellowship of their members. Membership grew rapidly and the Footprinters held their own first Grand Convention at the Whitcomb Hotel in San Francisco in 1931. About 300 members attended. 

Originally membership was limited to law enforcement officials. Later this limited scope was expanded to peace officers (active and retired) from all agencies, doctors, lawyers, elected and appointed officials, men and women of all professions and businesses, and all citizens sympathetic to good law enforcement and its attendant problems. 

The early rapid growth of the Association was accelerated even more by the first Grand Convention. We continued to grow so fast that we became incorporated January 26, 1932. Because of the wide spread popularity of the Footprinters our Board of Directors (on June 6th 1935) voted to form the organization into local chapters each being subordinate to the governing body of the Grand Chapter.