The Ozark Society, an Arkansas-based, voluntary, non-profit, conservation organization was officially founded on the campus of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville on May 24, 1962. The founding president of the Ozark Society was Dr. Neil Compton of Bentonville, Arkansas. The principal, long-range objective of the Society is to protect wilderness, promote the scenic and recreational qualities of the Ozark-Ouachita region and to secure the preservation of these qualities for present and future generations. The Ozark Society, in close cooperation with the Arkansass legislators J. William Fulbright, John L. McClellan and John Paul Hammerschmidt, was instrumental in securing National Park status for the Buffalo National River in Arkansas in 1972. It also has led efforts in Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Louisiana to protect scenic rivers and secure representative wilderness areas on public lands as well as protect rare and endangered plants and animals and promote wiser use of land, water, air and energy resources by supporting all legislationlocal, state, and federaldesigned to protect these resources.

The Ozark Society conducts various activities throughout the year. These include canoeing, camping, hiking, scenic tours, and others. The Society publishes a quarterly Ozark Society Bulletin, a photo-illustrated magazine. The state organization is bolstered by a network of autonomous chapters in cities throughout Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.