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FFF's Illustrated Nycon Review, 1942

Page IV

FFF'S Illustrated Nycon Review Page IV

convention could negate the decisions of a former one (he refused to recognize the existing Nycon Committee and did not ask for a report on what progress had been made or what were its plans). Wollheim held that the existing Nycon Committee, of which he had been appointed chairman, was the legal committee and that it was responsible to the 2d Convention, which had appointed it, and that this present convention could not dissolve it.
     The debate was long; the professionals and non-fans departed when it started--it began in earnest after the recess for refreshments was terminated-but Sykora, who had usurped the chair was unable to make any headway against the powerful opposition. He manouvered a vote on the matter of forming a committee to investigate both the matter of forming a national fan society and the advisability of appointing a new Nycon Committee. Without realizing it, the convention gave him power to select this new committee himself. He appointed William S. Sykora, chairman; Walter Kubilius, Herbert E. Goudket, Sam Moskowitz, and Chester Fein. This motion was the only concrete action taken, outside of a petition of protest and idignation at the tactics of the Newark Convention's usurping chairman, which gained wide support.
     (The committee named above, as appointed at Newark was never called at any time;  the next thing fakind heard was that New Fandom had been formed and it would put on the Nycon.)
     The Newark Convention was the largest science fiction convention up to its time. It was the first convention where particular fans were barred from making speeches.
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THE FUTURIAN CONFERENCE - July 4, 1939
    The Futurian Society of New York, excluded from the Nycon, called a conference for July 4, 1939.
     About 20 fans attended, among them Forresst J Ackerman, Morojo, Milton A. Rothman, Kenneth Sterling, Mark Reinsberg, Isaac Asimov and his sister.
    Futurians present included Donald A. Wollheim, John B. Michel, Robert Lowndes, Frederik G. Pohl, Cyril Kornbluth, Jack Gillespie, Leslie Perri, Richard Wilson, and David A. Kyle.
     No persons were barred; full discussion was welcomed. The subjects brought up included: Reaction on the part of out-of-town fans to the Exclusion Act and the Nycon in general; the possibility of some sort of national federation of science fiction fans (Morojo suggested a Limited Corporation as most practical); the possibilities of holding a 2d World Stf Convention in Chicago for 1940 (Reinsberg brought it up first at this conference; the FSNY was the first to pledge its support to the Chicon); the future of the Fantasy Amateur Press

<photo in left column>
<possibly the attendees at the Futurian Conference on July 4, 1939.>

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FFF'S Illustrated Nycon Review Page IV convention could negate the decisions of a former one (he refused to recognize the existing Nycon Committee and did not ask for a report on what progress had been made or what were its plans). Wollheim held that the existing Nycon Committee, of which he had been appointed chairman, was the legal committee and that it was responsible to the 2d Convention, which had appointed it, and that this present convention could not dissolve it. The debate was long; the professionals and non-fans departed when it started--it began in earnest after the recess for refreshments was terminated-but Sykora, who had usurped the chair was unable to make any headway against the powerful opposition. He manouvered a vote on the matter of forming a committee to investigate both the matter of forming a national fan society and the advisability of appointing a new Nycon Committee. Without realizing it, the convention gave him power to select this new committee himself. He appointed William S. Sykora, chairman; Walter Kubilius, Herbert E. Goudket, Sam Moskowitz, and Chester Fein. This motion was the only concrete action taken, outside of a petition of protest and idignation at the tactics of the Newark Convention's usurping chairman, which gained wide support. (The committee named above, as appointed at Newark was never called at any time; the next thing fakind heard was that New Fandom had been formed and it would put on the Nycon.) The Newark Convention was the largest science fiction convention up to its time. It was the first convention where particular fans were barred from making speeches. ********************* THE FUTURIAN CONFERENCE - July 4, 1939 The Futurian Society of New York, excluded from the Nycon, called a conference for July 4, 1939. About 20 fans attended, among them Forresst J Ackerman, Morojo, Milton A. Rothman, Kenneth Sterling, Mark Reinsberg, Isaac Asimov and his sister. Futurians present included Donald A. Wollheim, John B. Michel, Robert Lowndes, Frederik G. Pohl, Cyril Kornbluth, Jack Gillespie, Leslie Perri, Richard Wilson, and David A. Kyle. No persons were barred; full discussion was welcomed. The subjects brought up included: Reaction on the part of out-of-town fans to the Exclusion Act and the Nycon in general; the possibility of some sort of national federation of science fiction fans (Morojo suggested a Limited Corporation as most practical); the possibilities of holding a 2d World Stf Convention in Chicago for 1940 (Reinsberg brought it up first at this conference; the FSNY was the first to pledge its support to the Chicon); the future of the Fantasy Amateur Press