This interview with Horst Hanusch, one of the founders and Secretary General of the International Joseph A. Schumpeter Society, recounts the origins and development of the Society on its 40th anniversary. Hanusch describes how his introduction to Schumpeterian thought came through the economist Wolfgang F. Stolper, whose personal connection to Schumpeter inspired the idea for an international society in 1984. The interview traces the Society’s establishment at the 1986 Augsburg conference, its governance structure modeled after the International Institute of Public Finance, and key institutional developments, including the Schumpeter Prize (sponsored by Wirtschaftswoche) and the founding of the Journal of Evolutionary Economics. Hanusch reflects on his three-decade tenure as Secretary General, emphasizing the importance of stable leadership, financial independence, and creating a space for both scientific exchange and professional networking. The conversation highlights the roles of key figures like Mark Perlman and Uwe Cantner in building a sustainable academic society centered on Schumpeterian economics and innovation research.