The idea for an international organization to foster international understanding, better human relations, peace, friendship, and good will came to Dr. Stanley J. Drake on his 60th birthday, March 8, 1976, when he was contemplating retiring as president of Fort Lauderdale University. Dr. Drake discussed the kind of organization he envisaged with his internationally minded friends in the United States and corresponded with others in Europe, and two years later, on March 8. 1978, the International Society of Friendship and Good Will (ISFGW) came into existence.

Although Dr. Drake was the founder of the Society, he persuaded Dr. John L. Lewine of New York. teacher, linguist, author, and internationalist, to serve as the first president of the new organization, while he would serve as the secretary-general. Other officers during the first few years were Dr. Pierre L. Ullman, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, who served as vice president. Mr. Conrad Fisher, a past secretary of the Esperanto League for North America and editor of its publications, served as secretary and as editor of the Society's bulletins in the language Esperanto. Mr. J. Anthony Blum of Orlando, Florida, was the Society's first treasurer. As the Society continued to grow rapidly with members in 50 countries, Dr. Richard E. Wood and Dr. Helen K. Billings were added as vice presidents.

Four years later, on April 27, 1992, president John L Lewine died. Stanley J Drake, who was serving as the Society's secretary-general, was persuaded by the other officers to succeed Dr. Lewine as the Society's second president. Conrad Fisher succeeded Stanley Drake as the Society's second secretary-general a post he held until his death.

During the first several years, ISFGW acquired an 80-nation advisory board, and its membership increased to 104 countries. Ambassadors to the United Nations from 79 countries and the foreign ambassadors to the United Stales from 65 countries became honorary members of the Society. The Honorable Mr. Javier Perez de Cuellar, who served the United Nations as its Secretary-General for ten years, was awarded an ISFGW Certificate of Commendation and Recognition and became an Honorary Member Extraordinary of this Society. ISFGW now has members in 189 countries (although in many of them it has only one or two non-dues-paying honorary members).

ISFGW is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization and is organized exclusively for educational, literary, and scientific purposes. ISFGW is nonpolitical and nonsectarian, and the Objectives of the Society appeal to men and women of good will all over the world, no matter what their political or religious beliefs may be. The Society sponsors and promotes 22 events and observances throughout the world, such as International Friendship Week, Universal Women's Week, Self-improvement Week, Human Rights Month, and 18 others. ISFGW distributes copies of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in English. French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese. Arabic, and the international language Esperanto .

The Society celebrated its 25th anniversary with a meeting at the Sheraton Studio Hotel on International Drive in Orlando Florida on 1 May 2003, where Gary Grady, was elected the new president, and Joe Blum, the other candidate for president, became first vice president. Phillip Dorcas of Texas was also elected to the board, succeeding Martin Kiedrowski of Germany. Continuing board members are Betty Wells of North Carolina (who also serves as treasurer), George Brooks of Florida, and Chuck Mays of Australia. Certificates of Commendation and Recognition were awarded to Dr. George Soros, Ted Turner, Peter Benson, Joseph F. Conroy, Joel Brozovsky, Sally Lawton, Prenda E. Cook, Doris Vallon-Wheeler, and Dorothy E.(Kim) Keeble. George Brooks and Joe Blum made presentations on possible future development in Florida in connection with ISFGW. Subsequent meetings of the Society have been held during the annual conventions of the Esperanto League for North America in the U.S. and Canada.