Living Worldcon Chairmen

[debgeisler]

An email list discussion got me curious about how many former Worldcon chairmen were still living (since I'd never met the chairs of Clevention, held in my home town when I was 2). This is the list I came up with, but there are some I'm not sure of. I did this based on my own limited information by looking at the Long List. Are there people here who shouldn't be, and who are deceased? And have I missed people who I just don't know, but who are still around and kicking?

Julian C. May (TASFiC, 1952)

David Kyle (NyConII, 1956)

Roger Sims (Detention, 1959)

Fred Prophet (Detention, 1959)

George Scithers (Discon I, 1963)

Ted White (Nycon 3, 1967)

Tony Lewis (Noreascon I, 1971)

Chuck Crayne (L.A.Con I, 1972)

Ron Bounds (Discon II, 1974)

Robin Johnson (Aussiecon I, 1975)

Ken Keller (MidAmericon, 1976)

Tim Kyger (IguanaCon II, 1978)

Pete Weston (Seacon '79, 1979)

Leslie Turek (Noreascon II, 1980)

Suzanne Carnival [now Carnival-Reece] (Denvention Two, 1982)

Mike Walsh (ConStellation, 1983)

Craig Miller (L.A.Con II, 1984)

Milt Stevens (L.A.Con II, 1984)

David Grigg (Aussiecon Two, 1985)

Penny Frierson (ConFederation, 1986)

Paul Oldroyd (Conspiracy '87, 1987)

John Guidry (Nolacon II, 1988)

Mark Olson (Noreascon III, 1989)

Kees van Toorn (ConFiction, 1990)

Kathleen Meyer (Chicon V, 1991)

Joe Siclari (MagiCon, 1992)

David Clark (ConFrancisco, 1993)

John Mansfield (ConAdian, 1994)

Vince Docherty (Interthingies I and II, 1995 & 2005)

Martin Easterbrook (Interthingy I, 1995)

Mike Glyer (L.A.con III, 1996)

Karen Meschke (LoneStarCon 2, 1997)

Peggy Rae [Pavlat] Sapienza (BucConeer, 1998)

Perry Middlemiss (Aussiecon Three, 1999)

Tom Veal (Chicon 2000, 2000)

Todd Dashoff (Millennium Philcon, 2001)

Tom Whitmore (ConJosieAndThePussycats, 2002)

Kevin Standlee (ConJosieAndEtc., 2002)

Peter Jarvis (Torcon 3, 2003)

Colin Harris (Interthingy II, 2005)

Christian McGuire (LACon IV, 2006)

Hiroaki Inoue (Nippon2007, 2007)

Kent Bloom (Denvention 3, 2008)

René Walling (Anticipation, 2009)

Robbie Bourget (Anticipation, 2009)

Note that names in italics are the ones added in as a result of comments.

Comments

[timill]

George Scithers? Seems still to have been with us this time last year.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've added him to the list.

[timill]

Also Penny Frierson, of ConFederation. Marcia's checking for you.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

And I've added her, too. :-)

[thatcrazycajun.livejournal.com]

You forgot my old pal John Guidry, who ran Nolacon II in New Orleans back in 1988 (I worked in the con suite). Far as I know he's still kicking.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I've added him to the list.

[edgreen86.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Chuck Crayne is still alive. He's hasn't been around LA fandom in years though.

[edgreen86.livejournal.com]

And Milt Stevens is absent from the list. Milt's still active in LASFS and SCIFI.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thanks -- I've added both to the list.

[nkcmike.livejournal.com]

What happened to the '04 con? ;-)

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

The chairman has been brain dead since 2001.

[wouldyoueva.livejournal.com]

Fred Prophet is still alive, or was at the last Worldcon I went to.

I wonder if Suzy Carnival still works for the Post Office?

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thank you. I'll add in Fred.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Now that you bring her up, I believe Suzanne Carnival is now Suzanne Carnival-Reece. Her name came up when I was a guest at ConQuest last year.

[lesliet-ma.livejournal.com]

Kindof depressing to find myself in the top half of such a list....

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

It's your own fault for chairing a Worldcon when you were 12.

[(Anonymous)]

According to Wiki, Julian May was born July 10. 1931. Making her just barely 21 when she chaired TASFiC.

And the next chair, David Kyle, was an elderly 37 when chaired NyCon II.

Other trivia, of the living con chairs, it seems that Chuck Crayne is the "oldest" chair with a still living GoH: Fred Pohl.

Michael Walsh

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

I wonder who was the oldest when they actually chaired the Worldcon? We've gone to older chairs in recent years...

Worldcon Chairman

[(Anonymous)]

David Grigg, who was Chair of Aussiecon Two in 1985, is still with us.

Perry Middlemiss

Re: Worldcon Chairman

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Perry!

[(Anonymous)]

So, do you add Erle Korshak?

"Chicon I was run by a triumvirate. Mark Reinsberg held the title of chairman, with Erle Korshak (secretary) and Bob Tucker (treasurer) as equal partners. Korshak presided over the opening day of the con, when Reinsberg fell ill."

For someone who is in his 80s, gafiation has been very very good to him.

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

It's a tricky situation. Erle went to one of the backs rooms with those members of the Formulation of Long List Entries (FOLLE) Committee members who were present at the Old Pharts party and gave us his version of the story. The Committee is researching the situation and attempting to find more contemporary evidence supporting it.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

I'll wait until the FOLLE committee makes up its mind. Because of my late arrival at the Old Pharts party, I missed meeting Erle (and both photo ops...someone could probably photoshop me in, if they care to). That's disappointing, as others said he was fascinating.

(Maybe gafiation will be as good to me.)

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

There was no Former Worldcon Chairs photo op at the Old Pharts Party because it was held on Saturday after (well, actually just before the end of) the Business Meeting, as announced and printed on the invitations. Maybe only half of the chairs present turned up for that photo. But not all of the chairs turned up for the Old Pharts Party, either, as some of them had to leave on Sunday afternoon to catch their flights.

me, the anon.

[(Anonymous)]

Whoops, neglected to sign that post about Erle Korshak.

-- Michael Walsh

Re: me, the anon.

[debgeisler.livejournal.com]

I figgered. :-)

[paradoox.livejournal.com]

It would be amusing (and sad) to see an updated list.

(Report on smofs this morning that Kathleen Meyer has died.)