The Great Exclusion Act

The Great Exclusion Act was the impromptu decision to bar six Futurians (known at the time as Michelists) from the 1939 Worldcon. At least four other Futurians were allowed to enter, but many considered the events to be a sign of cliques forming in the small space of science fiction fandom.
The convention committee members who made the decision were Sam Moskowitz, William S. Sykora, and James V. Taurasi, all members of New Fandom and the Queens Science Fiction League. The Futurians expelled from the convention hall were Donald A. Wollheim, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Cyril Kornbluth, Jack Gillespie, Frederik Pohl and John B. Michel.
== Leadup ==
Futurianism/Michelism was a leftist movement led by Donald A. Wollheim and John B. Michel. At the 1937 Third Eastern Science Fiction Convention, Wollheim delivered a speech written by Michel called Mutation or Death! that caused much controversy and was considered by some to be either politically offensive, or simply a distraction that had no place in fandom. Science fiction itself was a new frontier at the time, in contrast to the older fantasy and horror genres, and some science fiction fans with liberal politics saw their fandom activities as being of a kind with other progressive movements such as Esperanto, spelling reform, and rocket science. Prominent fans like Forrest J Ackerman and Morojo, who later sided with the Futurians after the Exclusion Act, were major proponents of Esperanto and of Ackerman's own style of simplified spelling in particular. Futurianism was intended to be a similar integration of leftist activism into science fiction fandom.
The New York Futurian club itself was founded in 1937 following the collapse of the International Scientific Association and the Greater New York Science Fiction League. John Michel, Donald Wollheim, Frederik Pohl and Robert A. W. Lowndes were the most prominent members of the club, and Michel is said to be the one who introduced the other club members to Marxist politics.Futurians on Fancyclopedia In the aftermath of Mutation or Death!, the movement became known as Michelism in honor of him as the author of the speech. Sides were already forming in broader fandom. Jack Speer authored the article A Fairly Complete Case Against Michelism, to which Futurian Robert Lowndes responded with A Better Case Against Michelism, in which he argued that the name was already outdated and made a case from the inside for some reforms that would help the Futurian cause, such as downplaying the association with Communism.
There was other pre-existing bad blood between some prominent Futurians and the Triumvirs. Donald Wollheim and Will Sykora had once been good friends, who teamed up with John B. Michel in a 1935 fan campaign targeting Wonder Stories and the Science Fiction League. Sykora managed to absorb Raymond A. Palmer's International Scientific Association into his own club, and they used the new ISA's power to essentially destroy the SFL. Sykora then headed the International Scientific Association, organizing cons like the Second Eastern before resigning later in 1937. The club was then handed over to officer Donald Wollheim, who found its internal affairs to be in such bad order that he obtained permission from the other members to disband it. Sykora later objected and tried to argue that the ISA had never been legally dissolved, but was unable to find enough support to restore the club.ISA at Fancyclopedia; article text quoted from Jack Speer's original Fancyclopedias (1944, 1959) At the 1938 Newark Convention he was still trying to reorganize it, and Wollheim and his new friends were distributing pamphlets against the ISA's resurrection.Robert A. Madle: "Fantaglimmerings" in Science Fiction Collector #19 pp. 29-31 (May 1938): "Another asked "Who are the Friends of the ISA?" and denounced those who plan to reorganize it as deadly enemies of the organization. Such inane and stupid statements as: "We oppose firmly [and] unhesitatingly all attempts made to slander, befoul and besmirch the name of the ISA," and "dragging its proud flag into the dust," etc. This type of Wollheimish drivel goes on for five paragraphs, and then requests all those who sympathize with them to join the "Friends of the ISA". And he expects the fan world to consume that baloney!" David A. Kyle tried to argue the point with Sykora, who lost his temper and appointed a new con committee for the upcoming Worldcon in 1939. This involved kicking Wollheim and others off the one that already existed. Other fans considered this foul play, especially since Sam Moskowitz was the chairman and not Sykora, and Kyle put together a petition against Sykora that was signed by a number of people.John James Weir: "Signing the Petition" in Science Fiction Collector #23 pp. 6-8 (Jan. 1939)
The Greater New York chapter of the Science Fiction League had also fallen apart in 1938 after Wollheim and his faction had attempted to send a delegate to the American Youth Congress. James V. Taurasi opposed this due to the expense involved, and after an unsuccessful attempt to impeach Taurasi, the Wollheimists tried to have Sykora suspended from the club in absentia. Taurasi refused to allow this, and the Wollheimists managed to impeach him, leading to his resignation along with a number of other members. The chapter was disbanded, and Sykora began the Queens Science Fiction League under a new charter, while Wollheim and his supporters started the Futurians.GNYSFL on Fancyclopedia. Text reprinted from Jack Speer's Fancyclopedia 1 & 2 (1944 and 1959).
Wollheim stated in a 1939 letter to Voice of the Imagi-Nation that he'd sided with Sykora in a number of intra-fandom feuds before the ISA fell apart. He now blamed Sykora for the feuds and felt that he'd gotten a bad rap in fandom because his name was more prominent.Donald A. Wollheim, letter to Voice of the Imagi-Nation issue 4 page 11 (December 1939) He and other Futurians disputed Jack Speer's version of events as given in Speer's 1939 Up to Now.
According to Futurian David Kyle, Sam Moskowitz joined forces with Sykora and James V. Taurasi as the leaders of the New Fandom club (founded 1938), and the Futurians and New Fandom/Queens Science Fiction League considered themselves at war due to a combination of personal fannish resentment, political differences, and the fact that both groups were vying to become "leaders" of fandom at large.David Kyle in Mimosa 21: SaM -- Fan Forever. First published 1997. The Futurians were angry about having several members removed from the Worldcon committee and thought the Triumvirs were monopolizing the con, and the Triumvirs thought the Futurians were planning to start trouble at their event.
== The Exclusion Act ==
In July 1939, the bad blood between New Fandom and the Futurians boiled over after a set of pamphlets printed by David A. Kyle was discovered hidden behind a radiator. Kyle himself, along with three other Futurians, was able to make it into the convention hall, but Donald A. Wollheim, Robert A. W. Lowndes, Cyril Kornbluth, Jack Gillespie, Frederik Pohl and John B. Michel were all refused entry.David Kyle in Mimosa 6: The Great Exclusion Act of 1939: "The offending hand-out appeared on Saturday morning of the first day of the convention. Trouble was already brewing as Futurians were being barred at the door. The sudden appearance of the one pamphlet alerted the three leaders. A search discovered the cache of "Warnings" under the heating radiator. Wollheim denied any knowledge, but it was disbelieved. I kept my mouth shut. That's why I was allowed into the meeting.." (First published 1989.) Wollheim, Lowndes, Pohl and Michel had become known as the Quadrumvirate. Sam Moskowitz, Will Sykora and James V. Taurasi, the Worldcon officials who made the impromptu decision to ban them, were known as the Triumvirs. According to Jack Speer's Fancyclopedia, the Triumvirs had already considered refusing the Futurians entry due to personal enmity between the clubs, and that Futurians in question were only stopped at the door for that reason. The New Fandom and Futurian groups were still arguing it out when a stash of hidden pamphlets were discovered and proved to be the final straw.
Jack Speer's 1944 Fancyclopedia reports that Taurasi was the first to stop the six Futurians, at which point "some pushing and shoving" took place, and that Moskowitz then came out of the hall and the two groups argued back and forth for about fifteen minutes. Moskowitz then sent for the building superintendent but was unable to make contact. As Moskowitz went to look for Sykora, another fan handed him a copy of Kyle's pamphlet: A Warning! A stash of copies was then discovered behind a radiator, and the group of six were kicked out.
According to multiple sources, the six Futurians hung around the outside of the con hall for the rest of the first day, trying to appeal to other fans for support. On the second day a few other Futurians joined them; Dick Wilson and Leslie Perri were the most passionate in their appeals.Leslie Perri: A Lady Sees the Convention. Fantasy Fictioneer #2 pg. 2. (January 1940)Dick Wilson in Escape #2 pg. 3. (August 1939) Jack Speer's con report in Cosmic Tales says that copies of A Warning! were passed around the con, and by the end the Triumvirs had figured out that Kyle alone was responsible--although Speer didn't believe it himself. He also said that he learned of the Exclusion from some fans from Philadelphia who picked him up, saying, "We've got to get up there and pound some sense into Jimmy and Will."Jack Speer: Speer's Scribblings. Cosmic Tales Vol. 2 #1, pp. 36-39, 42. Summer 1939.
Speer's Fancyclopedia reports that some fans at the con tried to convince the Triumvirs to revoke the ban, including David Kyle, who took the floor "on a pretext" and tried to move for the other Futurians to be admitted, but Will Sykora as the chairman "talked a while and changed the subject." Dale Hart nearly walked out when Kyle's approach failed.Jack Speer: Speer's Scribblings. Cosmic Tales Vol. 2 #1, pp. 36-39, 42. Summer 1939: "Concerning Dale Hart, who almost walked out when the motion to admit the Wolheimists wasn't recognized, it was said, 'It's his own fault, coming a week early and letting the Futurians stuff him full of propaganda'...."
On the third day, Futurians and some sympathizers met at a free mini-con in Brooklyn and discussed the events of Worldcon.Exclusion Act entry on Fancyclopedia; text quoted from Jack Speer's 1944 and 1959 printed Fancyclopedias 1 and 2. Jack Speer said that Milton A. Rothman, Forrest J Ackerman, Morojo, Dale Hart, Dick Wilson and others were all absent from a softball game put on by the con, and that most people assumed they were with the Futurians.Jack Speer: Speer's Scribblings. Cosmic Tales Vol. 2 #1, pp. 36-39, 42. Summer 1939.
== A Warning! ==
David Kyle, writing in 1989, reported that while Sam Moskowitz tried to present an objective version of events in his 1954 fannish history The Immortal Storm, he had in fact redacted key parts of Kyle's pamphlet A Warning! in order to make it sound more inflammatory than it really was.David Kyle in Mimosa 6: The Great Exclusion Act of 1939: "Moskowitz's edited version represents the kind of manipulation of words which no one should do, especially a researcher of Moskowitz's stature. But I forgive him even though others haven't after all these years. It's not easy, however, to read his disclaimer without some irritation even after a half century.... One has to consider how such material was deliberately expurgated, more significant than just 'a few paragraphs' (60% deletion!) and, outrageously described as 'of a similar nature'." (First published 1989.) The pamphlet was written from the perspective of the Futurians, some of whom were Communists and who were defined by their attempts to incorporate leftism into fandom. However, most of the text was actually about complaints with the Triumvirs themselves, warning that they were planning to run Worldcon "dictatorially" and citing the way they had been running the Queens Science Fiction League, along with events at the Third Eastern Science Fiction Convention.
One section that was printed in The Immortal Storm read:
A section redacted from Immortal Storm read:
While Kyle technically disavowed Communism/Michelism and claimed the pamphlet didn't represent the Futurians, the content was clearly motivated by the ongoing feud between the Futurians and the Triumvirs.
== Discrepancies ==
While Jack Speer's Fancyclopedia is one of the main primary sources for early fandom history, his accounts there and elsewhere contain inaccuracies and inconsistent statements. His con report in Cosmic Tales (Summer 1992) says that two of the Triumvirs had wanted to exclude "the Quadrumvirate", misstating the number of people involved on both sides. (Sykora arrived after Taurasi and Moskowitz kicked the Futurians out) In the same con report, he says that despite multiple people at the con telling him Kyle alone was responsible for A Warning, including Sam Moskowitz himself, he doesn't believe it, choosing to blame Wollheim and Michel due to the tone and the fact that it was signed by an "Association". He also says that fans from all sides, including Moskowitz and Sykora, had pointed out a number of inaccuracies in his fannish history Up To Now, which was distributed at the con and included events in the Futurian-New Fandom feud.Jack Speer: Speer's Scribblings. Cosmic Tales Vol. 2 #1, pp. 36-39, 42. Summer 1939.
Many accounts of the confrontation at Worldcon draw on Speer's version of events in Fancyclopedia and say that a set of Communist pamphlets were discovered behind a radiator, prompting Moskowitz, Sykora and Taurasi to bar the six Futurians from entry. However, according to Donald A. Wollheim's account of events, The First Side - The True Side, there were actually two different sets of pamphlets. John B. Michel and Frederik Pohl had mimeographed a set of pamphlets on Michelism that they intended to hand out at the convention. Meanwhile Kyle, unbeknownst to anyone else, had also printed a set of his own yellow pamphlets, titled A Warning! Rather than promoting Michelism or Communism, Kyle's pamphlets were largely concerned with personal complaints against Sykora and company, accusing them of planning to run Worldcon undemocratically, the way they'd been running New Fandom and the Queens Science Fiction League. Speer in his 1944 Fancyclopedia says that Michel and Pohl had personally printed and hidden A Warning!, but in fact adds in the very next paragraph that they had no knowledge it was there.Exclusion Act entry on Fancyclopedia; text quoted from Jack Speer's 1944 and 1959 printed Fancyclopedias 1 and 2. Wollheim's account reconciles this, lines up with David Kyle's 1989 description of events,The Great Exclusion Act of 1939: David Kyle in Mimosa 6, 1989: "I, for better or worse, was the trigger for the banning of those six fans from the meeting. I published the infamous "yellow pamphlet" which provoked the incident. It reflects the times in so many ways, both fannishly and internationally." and explains why exactly A Warning! was the final straw.
The First Side - The True Side says that when Will Sykora arrived at noon, he told Wollheim and the others that New Fandom had decided weeks ago to exclude the Futurians from the con. Speer says the topic had been discussed, but they didn't come to a firm decision.Exclusion Act entry on Fancyclopedia; text quoted from Jack Speer's 1944 and 1959 printed Fancyclopedias 1 and 2. His Fancyclopedia entry on the Greater New York Science Fiction League also inaccurately describes the American Youth Congress as "a Communist front organization."GNYSFL entry on Fancyclopedia. Text quoted from Jack Speer's 1944 first edition.
== Contemporary Reactions ==
Some fans rallied behind the Michelists out of sympathy with their cause; others disagreed with their politics or simply with their goal of integrating politics into fandom. Most, however, were agreed on their dislike of the Triumvirs, who were seen as officious and tyrannical. Very few fans expressed outright support for their decision at Worldcon, feeling that the trio were overstepping and trying to make themselves the authorities of all fandom.
=== First Person Accounts ===
Possibly the first account was issued as a zine by Leslie Perri, a member of the Futurians who wrote an open letter to William Sykora on the final day of Worldcon. In Your Teeth "Gentlemen" accused Sykora of tyrannical and egotistical behavior and announced to all three Triumvirs, "We mean to finish you in the interest of justice which cannot exist until your strong arm tactics are exposed to world science fiction."
Sam Moskowitz refused to go into much depth in his clubzine for New Fandom, but he mentioned the events briefly in their special convention issue:
At some point between October and December of 1939, Moskowitz also published an article in Science Fiction Collector titled There ARE Other Sides. He wrote an article in Fantasy-News explaining that a survey of fans had cleared New Fandom of all wrongdoing in the Exclusion Act. Bob Tucker found himself included in Moskowitz's statement and corrected Moskowitz: he said he'd never seen the article or had Moskowitz ask about it. Moskowitz then wrote in to Le Zombie to dispute this, saying that he had in fact asked Tucker about the article at a recent con. Tucker admitted that he now remembered this, but pointed out that in Moskowitz's own words, Tucker had told him at the con that he hadn't seen the article at all, and therefore couldn't have "cleared him" of all wrongdoing. (See Public Headache Dept.)
Donald A. Wollheim printed his own version of events in Science Fiction Collector, in an article titled The First Side - The True Side. Among other things, he denied that anyone from the Futurians had tried to "break in" and said they'd never made any contact with the police.
Moskowitz later followed up with his 1959 history The Immortal Storm. David A. Kyle would dispute Moskowitz's honesty in a 1989 article for Mimosa on the Exclusion Act.David Kyle in Mimosa 6: The Great Exclusion Act of 1939
Will Sykora reported in a January 1940 issue of Fantasy-News that he'd received a "smutty 'Christmas' card with the very vile remark 'Here is something else to screw your friends with' written on it." He said the card was postmarked from Brooklyn and offered a reward of $25.00 cash for information on the sender's identity.Will Sykora in Fantasy-News issue 81 page 2 (January 1940) Whatever the actual facts behind this incident, Sykora most likely believed it was Donald Wollheim, who'd formerly been a friend and prominent ally of his in several feuds, including the International Scientific Association's war with the Science Fiction League.Moskowitz, Sam. The Immortal Storm. 1954. Hyperion Press, 1974, pp. 48-50.
=== Other Fans ===
Bob Tucker (a member of the New Fandom collective) wrote in the August 1939 issue of his newszine Le Zombie:
In September 1939, issue 3 of Voice of the Imagi-Nation printed a full-page statement in support of the Futurians by the LASFL. Our Reaction to the "Exclusion Act" was apparently the origin of the term Exclusion Act. Editors Forrest J Ackerman and Morojo had been present at the convention and had tried to argue for the Futurians to be admitted. Later, Morojo herself wrote a letter defending herself from certain personal accusations made by Sam Moskowitz in his account of the affair.Morojo in Science Fiction Collector volume 5 issue 4: Morojo vs Moskowitz The LASFL also printed out a circular polling fans on "the actions of the Michelists". It was apparently distributed at the Philadelphia Conference of 1939.Robert A. Madle, answering a letter printed in Fantascience Digest issue 12 pg. 39: "Moskowitz is referring to a certain circular distributed by the LASFL which asked several questions pertaining to the actions of the Michelists at the recent Philly Conference. Incidentally, it might interest some to learn that most of the Michelists have denounced their communistic ideals and have decided tc become Technocrats. And some the Los Angeles Technocrats have become Futurians. Isn't it Amazing?" Jan. 1940. Moskowitz insisted in several zines that the circular had been misleading, and that he'd obtained signed statements from Mark Reinsberg and Erle Korshak that they'd been misled by the circular's phrasing.Sam Moskowitz, letter printed in Le Zombie issue 20 pg. 4: "Incidentally, I already have signed statements from Reinsberg and Korshak saying they were contacted and that they were misled by the manner in which LASFL'ers asked questions." Dec. 30, 1940. (See Public Headache Dept.)Sam Moskowitz, letter printed in Fantascience Digest issue 12 pg. 39: "Incidentally, the Los Angeles circular is a bunch of lies. I already have signed statements from Korshak & Reinsberg saying that the manner in which the questions were asked by the LASFL'ers was unfair, and that they misinterpreted the meanings, that they were contacted, that they did make affirmative statements." Jan. 1940.
Robert A. Madle's article Philadelphia -- Convention City, published in Ad Astra (November 1939), cast the Michelists as a disrupting force in fandom who had ruined the Third Eastern Science Fiction Convention in 1937. He mentioned their boycott of the 1938 Philadelphia Conference.
Futurian Richard Wilson wrote in Voice of the Imagi-Nation issue 4: "Dear Youse: Especially gratifying to one who, but by the tarter on his teeth, escaped oustation at the notorious 'World' convention is your official stand on the Exclusion Act as printed on page 1 of Votl-M. Thanks."
Robert Lowndes wrote in the same issue (with Ackermanese phonetic spelling removed):
Speer wrote in to contradict Lowndes' reaction to his history Up To Now:
Joseph Gilbert wrote:
Frances Alberti, member of the Queens Science Fiction League and later wife of Will Sykora, wrote a letter titled Finally Convinced in New Fandom's special convention issue (January 1940). She voiced her support for the Triumvirs and cited the Futurians' alleged behavior at the Philadelphia Conference as proof that their main goal at Worldcon was to disrupt fandom.
In issue 5 of Voice of the Imagi-Nation, Joseph Gilbert wrote in as a rare voice of mild support for the Triumvirs:
CSYoud wrote in the same issue:
Lowndes wrote in response to Joseph Gilbert's letter in issue 4:
A letter from Lowndes published in VoM four months previously had stated that he and Speer were corresponding about the matter and trying to work things out, and Speer would later issue an apology for his original statements.
Jack Chapman Miske sent a letter to Voice of the Imagi-Nation that was published in part, with a note from editors Morojo and Forrest J Ackerman that he had "characterized the Exclusion Act as The Bolshevik Barring":
At the end of the same issue of Voice of the Imagi-Nation, the editors reprinted Milton A. Rothman's Science Fiction is Escape Literature, which expressed support for the Futurians.
== Aftermath ==
By 1941, a number of Futurians had gone pro and New Fandom was fading from relevance. William S. Sykora lost prominence in fandom after Chicon I, where reports circulated that he'd been arrested and released with a warning in a case of child molestation. However, there was one last scuffle in January, when Futurians Dick Wilson and Dan Burford showed up at a meeting of the Queens Science Fiction League after an invitation from the club director Hyman Tiger. Jack Speer reported in Fancyclopedia I that Moskowitz and Sykora physically attacked Burford, and along with Taurasi, Mario Racic and Frances Alberti Sykora, drove the two Futurians out of the meeting.QSFL entry on Fancyclopedia; text quoted from Speer's 1944 Fancyclopedia I. Robert Lowndes gave an account of the incident in an issue of Le Vombiteur, and Tiger confirmed its general accuracy.Hyman Tiger in Le Zombie, issue 37 pg. 6: "Our Jan. 5 meeting saw an attendance of 68, ....and if a certain Mr S. and his assistants, Messers T., M., and R. had not committed their horrendous acts, we might have received 60 more. The goings on, as set forth in Le Vombiteur ((Vol. 3, #2)), is substantially correct." (March/May 1941)
In August 1941, Joe Gilbert wrote in Slan!-der, his column for Fanfare, that public opinion had reversed on the Futurians and New Fandom, including his own. He referenced not just Sykora's arrest, but a general unpleasant attitude that included saying some recent fan suicides had been caused by immature intellects feeling humbled by the brilliance of other fans--such as William S. Sykora. Gilbert added that Sykora had also said Gilbert himself would soon commit suicide. Gilbert now felt that Wollheim's bitterness and sharp tongue were "acquired traits", while Sykora just had a bad personality to start with.Joe Gilbert: "Slan!-der". Fanfare #7 pp. 10-11, Aug. 1941: "The bitterness of those early years, there can be no coubt, has become a part of Wollheim's character, along with secretiveness, and a vitriolic tongue. Acquired traits. Evidence is not lacking, on the other hand, that this latter does not apply to Sykora; it would seem that universal dislike merely brought out into the light concealed innate character---or lack of it."
The Futurian-New Fandom feud began to fade from zines, but since most of the major players stayed active in fandom for the rest of their lives, it was remembered for a long time. In late 1943 Harry Honig (editor of Arcana) wrote to Voice of the Imagi-Nation to comment on another fan's retirement from active fandom, naming Sam Moskowitz's conversion to Michelism as one of several equally shocking possibilities:
In 1964, a number of prominent fans signed a statement from the Pacificon II committee, endorsing their right to bar fans from the convention. The decision was prompted by child molestation accusations against Walter Breen. Some fans felt that Breen should be allowed to attend the convention despite this. The fans supporting the con committee's right to bar Breen from attending included David Kyle and Sam Moskowitz, who had been on opposing sides in the first Exclusion. Jack Speer and Robert A. Madle also signed in support. In 1989, Moskowitz suggested that in light of this event, a "reevaluation" of the Great Exclusion Act was in order.Sam Moskowitz: Sam Moskowitz' Pacificon II Reminiscence. Hosted on Fancyclopedia. 1989.
David Kyle, the original author of A Warning! wrote in 1989:
== Meta ==
* Timeline of the New Fandom-Futurians Feud
== References ==
Category:1939 Conventions
Category:1939 Events
Category:Science Fiction Conventions
Category:Science Fiction Fandom Occurrences