In 2008 a group of Wheaton College students, headed by former Wade Center student worker Abigail (Abbi) Brown, had established an informal campus Tolkien Society which met at Fellowship House (a student on-campus house) on an irregular basis for food and fun. No official student club was established before that era of students had graduated.

In January 2011 Laura Schmidt, archivist of the Wade Center and a former attendee of the informal Tolkien Society events, decided to enlist the aid of Abbi Brown and Deborah Bates (another former society member and Wheaton grad) to plan a Tolkien Reading Day event at the Wade Center on March 25. The purpose of the event was to celebrate Tolkien's life and works and try to establish an official Wheaton College Tolkien Society as a special interest student club, which could also include faculty and staff members.

Over 70 people attended the Tolkien Reading Day event, and over 30 people showed interest in forming a Wheaton College Tolkien Society. The first Society meeting took place on April 8, 2011 at the Wade Center where an outline for the formation of the society was discussed, the constitution approved, and a cabinet was elected. The WCTS went into full swing in the fall of 2012 and added the cabinet position of "Treasurer" in December 2011.

The mission of the WCTS is: "Fostering fellowship and friendship among the students of Wheaton College through enjoyment, discussion, and activities relating to the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Secondarily, extending this community to include the faculty, staff, and alumni of Wheaton College. Focus may branch out to other related authors and topics as directed by the active members of the Society."

Although the WCTS is supported by the Wade Center, it is a separate entity overseen by the Student Activities Office and is not directly connected to the Wade.