This summer in Washington one of the sessions of the Fossil Coral Symposium was devoted to the subject of stromatoporoids and their relatives; this fall a major part of this workshop on fossil sponges is being devoted to the same group. The closeness of these two meetings emphasizes the problematic nature of these fossils and focuses attention on a controversy over their affinity that is over 100 years old. Although these enigmatic fossils have many cnidarian features, I think you will agree that they are “in the right place” in this sponge workshop.