The secondWorldcon, and firstin Chicago,Chicon was held in the Hotel Chicagoan inChicago, IL, September 1–2, 1940. TheGoH wasE. E. "Doc" Smith.

Thetradition ofnicknamingWorldcons was still not settled, and nobody had thought about choosing a site for another Worldcon the year before;Forry Ackermannicknamed this one. The1940 Worldcon Site Selection that choseChicago took place atPhilcon 1939, not at theFirst Worldcon, but this Worldcon cemented the tradition of choosing the upcoming site during thecon.Denver in 1941 won the right to host the 1941Worldcon over aNew York in 1941bid in the1941 Worldcon Site Selection at Chicon.

The Chicon was sponsored by theIllini Fantasy Fictioneers, aclub set up for the purpose, and run by atriumvirate.Mark Reinsberg held the title ofchairman (he'd won that title in a "bitter struggle" withW. Lawrence Hamling, who claimed to have been elected), withErle Korshak (secretary and executive advisor) andBob Tucker (treasurer andDirector of theIFF) as equal partners who did 90% of the work.Sully Roberds did publications andRichard Meyer also helped. Korshak presided over the opening day of thecon, when Reinsberg fell ill.

Although the officialmembership count was 128, Tucker reported thatRay Palmer signed the membership book five times, using his own name and four of hispseudonyms. (This appears to have been common in the early days.) Admission was free. See the list ofpre-registered members below.

The Chicon may have been the place whereClaude Degler made his first public appearance at afannish event, unless it was theDenvention.

The firstmasquerade took place at the Chicon at the suggestion ofJack Speer andMilt Rothman.

Erle Korshak claimed that after Chicon, he and Bob Tucker met and divvied up the couple of hundred dollars that was left after paying the bills. Korshak, Tucker and Reinsberg each got a share andSully Roberds andRichard Meyer split a share.

• Forrest J Ackerman's Chicon I Reminiscence.
• Chicon I publications and photos on fanac.org.
• 1940 Chicon Scrapbook and Everyfan's Guide.
• The Time Machine: Chicon.

Program[edit]

Ad forTWS,Startling Stories andCaptain Future featuringHans Wessoart from the Chiconprogram book.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 1[edit]

• MORNING SESSION: 10:00 A.M to 12:00 Noon.

1. Informal gathering at Convention Hall.
2. Acceptance of Resolutions Petitions.
3. Sale of Official Convention Fan Publications
4. Luncheon Recess.

• AFTERNOON SESSION: 1:00 to 6:00 P.M.

1. Registration in Foyer
   1. Sale of ChiconProgram Booklet.
   2. Distribution of Chicon souvenirs.
2. Formal Opening of Chicon by TemporaryChairman.
3. Address of Welcome, byBob Tucker.
4. Report of the Program Committee:Richard I. Meyer, Chairman.
5. Installment ofMark Reinsberg as Permanent Chairman.
6. "One Year of Fan Progress," byMark Reinsberg.
7. Report of the Resolutions Committee:Erle Korshak, Chairman.
8. "What Does This Convention Mean?" byE. E. Smith, Ph. D.
9. Motion Picture-Premier Showing ofMonsters of the Moon, ascientific fantasy of the future. Introductory remarks byForrest J Ackerman.
10. Recess for Refreshments (30 minutes).
11. "WhatScience Fiction Really Is,"Raymond A. Palmer.
12. This isFandom! Introductions of:
    1. TheConvention Committee.
    2. TheFans andPros of Chicago: the Nation.
13. Supper Recess-preparation forcostume party.

• EVENING SESSION: 8:00 P.M. to Midnight.

1. The Science FictionMasquerade Party:Speer &Rothman, co-Masters of Ceremony.
2. The Science FictionAuction:Erle Korshak, Auctioneer.
3. Adjournment to Monday Sept. 2nd.

MONDAY, SEPT. 2nd.[edit]

• MORNING SESSION: 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 Noon. (Closed)

1. Business Meeting of theIllini Fantasy Fictioneers-IFF members only.

• AFTERNOON SESSION: 1:00 to 6:00 P.M.

1. Call to order
2. Reading of the Minutes of previous day:George Tullis, RecordingSecretary.
3. Director's Report on theIFF.
4. Report of the Resolutions Committee.
5. Individual presentation of proposed Resolutions by sponsors.
   1. Individual debate.
   2. Assembly votes for or against adoption of individual proposed Resolutions in Chicon Platform.
6. Reading of Chicon Platform forFandom.
7. New or unfinished business.
8. Dinner Recess.

• EVENING SESSION: 8:00 P.M. to Midnight.

1. TheE. E. Smith HonorBanquet. Celebrating the Chicon'sGoH, the Colossus of all writers ofScience Fiction---Edward E. ("Skylark") Smith, Ph. D.
2. After dinner talks and general discussion.
3. Final adjournment and --Farewell.

• SPECIAL EVENTS (Tuesday, Sept 3rd).

1. The Science FictionSoftball Game. Two select All-Fan Teams battle for the Championship.
2. General Open House. Chicago fans "fling wide the portals" of their homes for visitingfans.
3. General Tours ofChicago. Escorted trips to Chicago's points of interest, in and out of thefan world.

Hotel Chicagoan[edit]

Located at 67 W. Madison Street inChicago and built in 1932 as an addition to the adjacentHotel Morrison (site ofChicon 2), this hotel featured 450 rooms. The site of both hotels is now taken up by the Chase Tower.

List of Chicon Members[edit]

This list of members, labeled “Fantasy Fictioneers,” was taken from theprogram book, so it includes only those who signed up in advance. A number of names are obviously fakes, several fans are listed more than once underpseudonyms, and thegoh and somecommittee members are missing. In short, it can’t be relied on as a list of who actually attended.

Other Lists[edit]

In 1965,Bob Tucker did aretrospective on the Chicon which included an analysis of the membership records.

Illini Fantasy Fictioneers[edit]

TheIllini Fantasy Fictioneers were organized to put on theChicon. It was anIllinois group, but accepted members nationally. It was organized in mid-1939 inBloomington, IL.Bob Tucker wasDirector,Richard Meyer wasSecretary-Treasurer,Erle Korshak was Adviser,Mark Reinsberg wasChairman of the convention, andSully Roberds wasPublicity Director. (Most of them were still in High School. Tucker, at 25, was the Old Man.)

Sully Roberds published theFantasy Fictioneer as theirOfficial Organ, and they organized meetings (calling them theChicago Conferences.)

Members of the Illini Fantasy Fictioneers, 1939–40 (in order of registration)

Guest Book[edit]

Chicon attendees, in the order registered in the Guest Book, (beware of pseudonyms)

There are eight knownpseudonyms in the above list; it is anyone’s guess how many more there be.

(those who neglected to sign:)

• Constance Meyer, Chicago^[35]
• Mr.David Meyer, Chicago
• Mrs. David Meyer, Chicago
• Billie Von Till (address ?? )

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