WESTPEX has been one of the most respected philatelic exhibitions in the United States since 1960. This section of the site tells its history — adapted with permission from WESTPEX – The First 50 Years, the 198-page book Kristin Patterson wrote in 2010 to mark the show’s fiftieth anniversary.

The pages below cover the founding through 2009 from Patterson’s chapters, and the 2010s and 2020s from WESTPEX’s own show programs.

Browse by Era

• Origins (1940 – 1969) — the Council, the founding committee, the name, the first show, and the first ten years
• The 1970s — Cy Thompson takes over, the cable-car cachet, the Bicentennial year, the year of two shows
• The 1980s — the silver-anniversary year, the move out of the Jack Tar, growing into a national exhibition
• The 1990s — the show’s busiest decade, and the year WESTPEX didn’t happen
• The 2000s — non-profit status, the Big Move, and 2005 – 2009
• The 2010s — the 50th-anniversary year, themed shows from Hetch Hetchy to the Summer of Love, and the end of the longest chairmanship
• The 2020s — pandemic disruption, two leadership transitions, and an international UPU showcase

Browse by Topic

• The WESTPEX Chairmen — the people who’ve led the show across the decades
• Exhibits and the People Who Judge Them — exhibiting at WESTPEX, and the judging tradition
• The Bourse — fifty years of dealers
• Youth Activities — bringing the next generation into philately
• Honors — Grand Award winners, jurors, and the volunteers who built WESTPEX

The history pages are adapted from WESTPEX – The First 50 Years by Kristin Patterson, © 2010 WESTPEX, Inc. · About this history →