The most important thing about a con is that theslans can get together with their own kind of people, perhaps forgetting theirintroversion for a while, and do what they want to do andfangab about mutually interesting things and develop theirstfnic personalities.

Convention – Before late 1938, any largeishfan gathering; thereafter, a more or less successful policy of restricting the word to the annual national/international convention was followed infandom. TheWorld Science Fiction Convention is usually held on Labor Day Weekend (in the United States the first Monday in September is a holiday, guaranteeing a long weekend), and allows a good year for recuperation betweencons. Attendance is anywhere from 200 to 2000, tho the big-convention trend has been viewed withAlarm and Despondency by many fans.

Thefirst Science Fiction Convention was inPhiladelphia in October 1936, when theNYB-ISA visited thePhiladelphia Branch. It was marked with horseplay and camaraderie. This was the first of allstf conventions.

TheSecond Eastern States Science Fiction Convention was held inNew York the following year underISA auspices; rumblings of aWorld Convention were heard. It was essentially a return visit by thePhillies toNew York.

TheThird Eastern Science Fiction Convention was back inPhilly, Hallowe'en 1937. Most notable event was the speech launchingMichelism. On the lighter side was theShaggoth 6 thing.

TheNewark Convention, officially theFirst National SF Convention, was held atNewark 29 May 1938, at the call ofWill Sykora andSam Moskowitz. The first con to pass the hundred mark in attendance, it was marred byfeuding and sniping overMichelism, theISA, the plannedWSFC, and any other convenient theme. Since it had no representatives from west of the Appalachians theWollheimists called it Fourth Eastern for a long time.

After this "convention" should be restricted to the chief annual gathering of fans, which is usually designated as somethingcityWorld Science Fiction Convention by thecommittee which produces it, and by thefans who refer to it as some word starting with part of the host city's name and ending with "con" or "-ention".

1939NYCon I was held in New York 2-4 July under the auspices ofNew Fandom as theWorld Science Fiction Convention, "First" being added later. (AnnualWorldcons were not at first contemplated; idea and site for theChiCon were not formally approved by fans till thePhilcon later this year.) With a total attendance of 200, it was the largest beforeWorld War II ended major conventions. It set the pattern for subsequent conventions lasting more than one day, but was marred by theExclusion Act. The name ofNYCon (or "Fifth Eastern") was tagged on it by theWollheimists to downgrade the claim implicit in "World", but after theChiCon such portmanteau-names were always used.GoH:Frank R. Paul;Chairman:Moskowitz; Hotel:Caravan Hall; Estimated attendance: 200.

1940ChiCon I was inChicago about Labor Day 1940 under the auspices of theIllinois Fantasy Fictioneers (acon-promoting organization specially organized byReinsburg,Tucker, and others for the event; it later merged with theMWFFF). TheChiCon I was significant of the new harmony infandom resulting from the suppression offeuding, and took place in the plushest surroundings yet. A suggestion bySpeer andRothman led to institution of theCostume Party at this con;Dave Kyle won it as Ming the Merciless.GoH:E. E. Smith;Chairman:Korshak; 115 attendees at the Chicagoan.

1941Denvention was presented 4-6 July inDenverColorado, by theColorado Fantasy Society.GoHHeinlein made an outstanding speech. Also worthy of remark was the traveling that fans did to get there; theWidneride, riding the rods, making the trip on a starvation shoestring, etc. The award offered for the fan overcoming the greatest difficulties to attend was deserved by many.Olon Wiggins in thechair; 100 attended at the Shirley-Savoy.

1942-45 saw no convention, at first because of thewar threat to thePacific Coast where the next con was scheduled, later because of wartime travel restrictions.

1946Pacificon (no pun intended) happened underLASFS auspices; attendance was disappointing on account of bungledpublicity. The announcement of the formation of theFantasy Foundation was made,Rothman Liebscher andPerdue improved the occasion with pianistics, andAckerman had a nervous breakdown from overwork. A wire toDunkelberger informed him that theN3F had been dissolved when a quorum of the members met at thecon (probably the only time a quorum of N3F members has ever met face to face since the first year of the group's existence;Dunk hollered foul, hired a lawyer, and got ready to fight the battle of the century beforeE. E. Evans exposed thehoax.

JointGuests of Honor wereA. E. van Vogt andE. Mayne Hull.Chairman:Walt Daugherty, he of theprojects. 125 attendees at the Park View Manor. The attendance would surely have been larger for the first postwar con, reminiscesBurbee. "I do remember how irkedWalter J. Daugherty was because so many localfans were sending publicity out. He wanted to be in sole charge of publicity releases, releasing just tidbits of information at a time, so that months would elapse before people were even sure that there was going tobe a convention. Gradually they would learn details, such as when and where. I believe that he also wanted to have but onefanzine,Dunkelberger'sFanews, be the convention news medium. He said he knew all about publicity and nobody else knew anything."

1947Philcon produced by thePhiladelphia SFS was loaded, chairmanRothman selfcriticizes, with too much heavy science on the program, butSpeer and some friends managed to lighten things up a little with theFireworks Furor.John W. Campbell wasGoH; hotel Penn Sheraton; 180 attendees.

1948Torcon, marked by the first appearance of thehelicopter beanie andzap-gun, was put on by theToronto (Canada) Derelicts over the July 4 weekend. (PatrioticAmerifans celebrated Independence Day and defied the tyranny of King George.)Tucker presented hisLittle Kinsey Report (whichBloch later parodied),Wollheim defendedsex (onprozine covers, that is) andDoc Keller plugged for science-boostingstf. Oh yes -- andRothman introduced a film on atomic physics, with results told underzap-gun. 200 attendees heardGoHRobert Bloch;ChairmanNed McKeown arranged for the con to be held in the RAI Purdy Studios.

1949Cinvention underCincinnati Fantasy Group sponsorship was prefaced by theSecond Tucker Death Hoax.Guests of Honor were selected from bothpros (Lloyd Arthur Eshbach) andfans (Ted Carnell, who had been brought over by theBig Pond Fund). A group of attendees appeared on TV to plug the con,Kyle arranged for a model to come fromNew York to pose for cheesecake photos of "Miss Science Fiction",pro guests included the author ofscientificomic "Alley Oop", andDave MacInnes recorded all on wire. 200 attendees met at the Metropole underDon Ford'schairmanship. TheCincy boys made a tidy profit to pass on to the next year's con. Parenthetically,Redd Boggs puzzled somefans no end by titling his comments on the con, "The Fantasy Boys Over the Rhine"; It turned out that "Over the Rhine in '49" was aWorld War II slogan used by those who thot the conflict would end in this year.

1950NorWesCon (atPortland,Oregon) followed an intensive campaign for aWest Coast con in the name of fairness. It saw the introduction of aDianetics session full of people testifying to the healing powers of the New Faith, and a lethal takeoff on such screwballism inTheobald Mackerel's presentation ofDiacybersemnetimantics. Held at the Hotel Multnomah;chairmanDon Day presided over 250 attendees andTony Boucher who wasGoH.

1951Nolacon, the only convention yet held in theSouth (atNew Orleans,Louisiana), was the smallest since theWar, but contributed tofannish legendry the two-dayparty inRoom 770 and exposed the quasi-hoax aboutLee Hoffman's sex.Harry Moore, who managed the thing, got world premieres ofThe Day The Earth Stood Still andWhen Worlds Collide to show.Fritz Leiber wasGoH;Harry Moore,chairman; 325 attendees; St. Charles Hotel.

1952ChiCon II went to the other extreme, being the largest since thewar with over 1100 attendees.Walt Willis was brought over byShelby Vick'sWAW With the Crew in '52campaign and theLittle Men held a fabulous penthouseparty (which, however, didn't get the con forFrisco in '53);John Pomeroy told everyone How To Be An Expert Without Actually Knowing Anything, andGernsback introduced the peculiar idea that writers should claim a sort of patent or copyright on ideas they introduced instfyarns.Chairman:May;Hotel Morrison;GoH:Hugo Gernsback.

Chicon II only gradually, and after the fact, became the accepted tag for this con, perhaps because diehard old-timefen insisted. EvenTASFIC, the contemporarynickname, was not really authorized by thecommittee, which never gave out an "official"nickname. In fact, this was the onlyWorldcon whose official name was not the Somethingth World SF Con; the 1952 Convention was theTenth Anniversary World Science Fiction Convention, and theCommittee wouldn't let you forget it.

1953Philcon II saw an incredibly lengthyauction session managed byL. Sprague de Camp but wasfannishly marked by the irruption of the7th Fandom faction, organized earlier in the summer. Early mutterings of the advisability ofincorporating were heard and therotation plan, which regularized the idea of holding cons in Eastern, Central, and Western locations successively ("orderly progression westward") was adopted.Milt Rothman made himself the only second-time s/u/c/k/e/rWorldcon chairman;Willy Ley wasGoH. 800fans coagulated at the Bellvue-Stratford. ThePhilcon II was the first (and only) con to official use a II in thenickname.

1954SFCon out inSan Francisco saw the7th Fandomfuggheads in full cry, was embellished byVorzimer'shaircream caper and the activity of some nameless goons who threw fullbeercans out the hotel windows, and somehow found the management unsocially inclined; intrusions into private rooms by the house detective were reported on several occasions.

It was known asSFCon orFriscon -- the latter name was detested by the local people, who have a Thing about their beautiful city being called Frisco.John W. Campbell wasGoH again; 600 fans and some of Vorzimer's7th Fandom crew made the scene at the Sir Francis Drake, andLes Cole held thechair. I forget who carried the hose.

1955Clevention occurred after the7th Fandomites had beenkneed in the groin by the mad dogs and hotel relations (with the Manger, inClevelandOhio) were wonderful. One unusual aftereffect of the con, not previously observed, was a justification of the last paragraph under "con"; meetings ofLee Hoffman andLarry Shaw, andRog Phillips andHoney Wood, were followed at no long interval by marriages.The Terrans, who produced the con this year, were already an incorporated group, so that question didn't arise this time.Nick Falasca waschairman, andIsaac AsimovGoH.

1956NYCon II (or NewYorkon, as some called it) was monstrously large, estimates around 2000 being offered since a large number of visitors were not con-societymembers. It was disfigured by a marked degree of unsociability, aLittle Exclusion Act (thecommittee restricted the audience of some speakers to those who'd paid $7 ($7 [!!] for abanquet), theincorporation of WSFS by maneuvers which provoked much resentment, and a debt of hundreds of dollars due chiefly to some thefts of display material and an overestimate of the number offans who'd be sucker interested enough to pay $7 for a hotel banquet.Arthur C. Clarke wasGoH, andDave Kyle controlled thechair.

1957Loncon,London, the first genuinely international con (there was one inToronto, butCanada can hardly be counted as a separate country), represented an attempt to returntrufannishness to the commercialized con, but was disturbed externally by a flap over a proposedplane trip which eventually wrecked theWSFS Inc.; the business session was delayed by a gun battle in which theGDA retrieved theOfficial Gavel, BBC-TV filmed a choice collection of interviews with attendees, worthy fen were inducted into theKnights of St. Fantony, andTAFF winnerBob Madle got a better reception than the laterfuror might suggest.John W. Campbell racked up anotherGuest-of-Honorship, andTed Carnell his firstWorldconchairmanship. 425 people were at the Kings Court Hotel.

1958SoLACon was the culmination of the longest-range campaign in fan history -- it was originally to be aSouth Gate convention (hence the "So" in the name); it squashed theWSFS Inc, introduced theLens tofannish fashion, sawRon Bennett come over forTAFF, and sparked off a revival of activity in theLos Angeles area, which had been practically dead since theInsurgent War.Anna Moffatt controlled thechair ("and nicely too") for the 475 people at the Alexandria.Richard Matheson was theGoH. (CfSOUTH GATE)

1959:Detroit:Detention. The one we couldn't tell you about last year [in the originalFancyclopedia II, published in 1959] turned out to be an extremely successful gathering, with 350 people there at the Pick-Fort Shelby. It was begun overHoward DeVore's dead body, and featured such things as a speech of conspicuous excellence byGoHPoul Anderson, Detroit's noble redemption of its pledged freebeer tickets, a debate in whichJohn W. Campbell laid waste the opponents ofpsionics, and a "Fan Editors'Panel" which turned into a marathon gabsession lasting six or seven hours nonstop. Jointchairmen wereSims andYoung.

1960:Pittcon inPittsburgh. WhatChairwomanDirce Archer andGoHJames Blish will make of theprogram we know not. The hotel will be the Penn-Sheraton -- of the same chain asPhilcon, disproving a fondfan illusion about how obnoxious we make ourselves. And for the same of uptodateness, here's a spot to enter the attendance: _____

The annual conventions inGreat Britain (beginning with thesecond con infan history, atLeeds on 3 January 1937; it was called to discuss an organization to replace the moribundSFL, and gave rise to theSFA) which are covered under their individual names, are also properly called "conventions", since they are nationwide in scope. Reserving the expression "World Convention" forAmerican gatherings has been regarded doubtfully since 90%+ of the attendees are Americans -- except at theTorcon andLoncon, of course -- but may be justified as a name on the ground that we want fans from other countries to feel that these are their conventions too, tho circumstances may make it difficult for them to attend; as for location, the practice might be compared to baseball or cricket world championship play, in which only American or Commonwealth teams (respectively) actually compete, since those sports are played more in those political areas than all the rest of the world combined.

Since the first convention a standard pattern for such an event has emerged. There is one every year; otherfan gatherings are scheduled in such a way as to avoid competition. Expenses are raised andpublicity arranged by sellingmemberships in a convention society which is started for the purpose of putting on the con; and, later, by selling ads in theprogram booklet and holding anauction at the con itself. (Membership in the convention society is open to all, but it is understood that stockholders' privileges are not conferred and management remains in the hands of the local boys.)Proz give the affair publicity, and sometimes the local newspapers write it up before -- or after. Slogans on the general model of "DC in '60!" are repeated in everyfanzine and in many letters, while everytrufan tries to figure out some way to attend. Theprogram runs three days (tho there are get-togethers before and after the official con dates by those who arrive early and/or stay late). The first day may be planned for the generalscientifictionist, the second day for thefaaan, and the third for sports andbusiness. On the first day, for instance, there will be speeches by celebrities, showing of a fantasy movie, and acostume party in the evening. Second day may include business matters connected with the convention organization and really shouldsettle next year's consite, tho that's often put off to the third day for the sake of the suspense. In the evening there's abanquet in honor of ascience-fiction celebrity. Anauction is put on wherever it can be fitted. Other features include formal and informal talks bypros, ditto byfans,club meetings,home-talent plays and ballets, and whatever else thecommittee can throw at the audience.British conventions, especially since theSupermancon, are distinguished by the greater muzzle velocity of thezapguns and the greater informality of the program. If you decide to attend, bring plenty ofmoney, azapgun, and ahelicopter beanie.

Thefirst Science-Fiction Convention was atPhiladelphia in 1936, when theNYB-ISA visited thePhiladelphia branch. It was marked by horseplay and camaraderie.

TheSecond Eastern States Science Fiction Convention was held inNew York early in 1937, under the auspices of theISA. The chief event, aside from the first mention of aWorld Science Fiction Convention, was a handshake betweenWollheim andJulius Schwartz which ended thewarfare of their factions.

TheThird Eastern Science Fiction Convention was back inPhiladelphia on Hallowe'en of 1937. Most notable event was the speech launchingMichelism. On the later side was theShaggoth 6 thing.

TheNewark Convention, officially the First National Science-Fiction (or Fantasy) Convention, was held atNewark on 29 May 38, on call ofWill Sykora andSam Moskowitz. It was marred by sniping andfeuding on the subjects ofMichelism, theISA, theWSFC, and personalities, but was the first to pass the hundred mark in attendance.Wollheimists called it the Fourth Eastern for a long time.

Similarly they called theWSFCI the Fifth Eastern. TheWorld Science-Fiction Convention ("First" added later) was held inNew York on 2 3 4 July 1939 under the auspices ofNew Fandom, and was the largest before thewar ended major conventions, approaching a total attendance of 200. It set the pattern for subsequent conventions lasting more than one day, but was marred by theExclusion Act.

TheChicago1940 World Science Fiction Convention was held at Chicago around Labor Day 1940 underIFF auspices. TheChicon was significant of the new harmony infandom, and took place in snazzier surrounding thanfen had theretofore enjoyed save at thePaulBanquet on 3 July 39.

TheDenvention was the ThirdWorld Science Fiction Convention,Denver 4 5 6 July 1941.GoHHeinlein made an outstanding speech. Remarkable too was the travelling that fans did to get there, theWidneride, riding the rods, making the trip on a starvation shoestring, etc. The award for thefan overcoming the greatest difficulties to attend was deserved by many.

The Fourth World Science Fiction Convention, thePacificon, was to be held inLos Angeles in 1942, but it was finally voted to suspend it because of the involvement of theUnited States in thewar and threat to theWest Coast.

Great Britain'sSFA had annual conventions at London in 1937, 1938, and 1939, which were featured by speeches from men of considerable standing in the world of letters and science, and by consumption of great quantities ofbeer, but your Diderot is unable to supply separate details.

TheMidlands Science Fiction Convention was scheduled forBirmingham in April 43, underBFS auspices. This ignorant one has no subsequent report.

In addition to these main events (and theconferences andconfabs), there have been numerous meetings facetiously called conventions, included here for the sake of completeness: The firstInterplanetary S-F Convention was held in a fone booth byJack Gillespie andCyril Kornbluth, sometime around 1938. The 4 r Eastern, orFirst Pan-National Science-Fiction Convention was the meeting ofSpeer andWilson inPhiladelphia in 1938, called Pan-National because, unlike the "First National", it had a representative from west of the Appalachians. The tendency more recently seems to be to label all such pseudo-conventions as somethingcons, which has given us a wave of such words asSydcon,Pacificon Jr.,Staplecon,Midgicon,Schnectacon,Fancon, andNorcon.

Thru the threeWorld Science Fiction Conventions, a standard pattern for such an event has emerged. Normally, there is one every year. There is a specialorganization for people to join forpublicity purposes, but absolute control as to theprogram and rules of proceedings is given to the local men. Theprozines give the affair publicity, and sometimes local papers write it up before or after. Slogans on the general model of "New York in '39!" are repeated infanzines and on envelopes of letters, and everyfan offandom tried to figure out some means of attending, but when the convention finally comes, a large fraction of its attendance is ofscientifictionists from in or near the convention city. The program runs two or three days: the first day is planned for the business. On the first day will be speeches by celebrities, showing of a fantasy movie, and acostume party in the evening. Second day includesbusiness matters connected with the convention organization, and where to hold the next year's convention. In the evening is abanquet in honor of a science-fiction celebrity who is there (Paul in 1939,Smith in 1940, andHeinlein in 1941). Theauction is put wherever it can be fitted. There are get-togethers before and after the convention days by those who arrive early &/or stay late.

The expression "world convention" has sometimes been called into question, particularly byBritishers, since all attendees were from theUS except a possible Englishman at theNycon andCanadian at theChicon.Ackerman has replied that we want the British fans to feel that these are their conventions too, that thewar prevented them from having any large gatherings in 1940 and 1941, when America's last two were held. It mite be compared to the "World Series", in which only American teams participate, because more than half the baseball in the world is played in the United States.