The Evangeline Section of SPE was formed in 1956 as part of the Oil and Gas Committee of American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) to provide services to the Lafayette, Louisiana area.
Over the years the section grew as the oil field economy of Lafayette and the surrounding area grew.
Membership of the section changed over the years as the balance between oil producing companies and oil service companies changed. Currently most of the membership is employed with oil field service companies .
The section name, Evangeline, refers to the first oil well that was drilled in Louisiana in 1901 outside the community of Evangeline, Louisiana near Jennings, Louisiana.
The history of SPE itself can be found here.