Worldcon/1939

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Worldcon 1939, the first ever World Science Fiction Convention, was held in New York, with around 200"New York, 1939: The official figure is 200 hardy souls, but other sources cite differing numbers. A fan who was there counted heads four times and claims he found only 125 on each count — but his claim was made in his fanzine a year later and so it is open to question, the more so because of a running quarrel he was having with the committee members at the time. A newszine published three years after the worldcon stated that 152 persons signed the register, but that other signatures were not counted because they couldn’t be read. That seems quaint in retrospect." - "The Clean Capitalist Revisionist" by Bob Tucker in Granfalloon Issue #20 (1976) fans attending. It was considered a success, but a long-running feud between the convention committee (New Fandom) and the Futurians caused six Futurians to be kicked out on the first day. (See The Great Exclusion Act.) Much discussion of the first Worldcon in zines was more concerned with the feud than the actual con events.
Frank R. Paul was the Guest of Honor. The convention committee included Sam Moskowitz, James V. Taurasi, William S. Sykora, Mario Racic Jr., Julius Schwartz and Conrad H. Ruppert, among others.
Forrest J Ackerman and Morojo attended in "futuricostume". There was a softball game played by fans that continued as a tradition for a few more cons before fizzling out.
Sam Moskowitz named a number of professional publications that had shown support for the convention, including Thrilling Wonder Stories, Astounding Science-Fiction, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, Marvel Science Stories and Science Fiction. The Argosy also placed an ad in the con program for a special edition containing reprints of some of their stories. He also thanked the Queens Science Fiction League and the Los Angeles Science Fiction League for their support.Sam Moskowitz's welcome speech (printed in New Fandom's special convention issue, page 13) (Moskowitz was also a member of the QSFL.)
==Name?==
The first Worldcon was retroactively named "Nycon I" by Forest Ackerman. At the time it was simply named "World Science Fiction Convention"; see Fancyclopedia. Nycon I was held during the 1939 New York World's Fair, and a number of sources have claimed that the World's Fair is the true source of the convention's name."the first World SF Convention or Worldcon in New York in 1939 (although it actually took its name from the holding in that year of the World's Fair in New York)." , The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (Accessed 28 January 2024).
From File 770:
== ProgramNycon Program - Fanac.org ==
=== Day 1 (Sunday, July 2) ===
==== Morning Session (10:00 am-12:00pm) ====
* Informal gathering at Convention Hall
* Luncheon Recess
==== Afternoon Session (2:00pm-7:00pm) ====
* Registration in foyer
* Official Opening
* Minutes of the First National Science Fiction Convention
* Welcome Address by Sam Moskowitz
* "Science Fiction and New Fandom" by William S. Sykora
* "Science Fiction, The Spirit of Youth" by Frank R. Paul
* Movie: "Metropolis"
* Recess for Refreshments
* "The Changing Science Fiction" by John W. Campbell
* "Men of Science Fiction" by Mort Weisinger
* "Science Fiction Personalities" - general introduction and discussion
* Supper
==== Evening Session (8:30pm-10:00pm) ====
* The Science Fiction Auction
* Adjournment to Monday, July 3rd.
=== Day 2 (Monday, July 3) ===
==== Afternoon Session (2:00pm-7:00pm) ====
* Call to order
* Reading of Minutes of the previous day
* "The Fan World of the Future" by Sam Moskowitz
* "Science and Science Fiction" by William S. Sykora
* "Seeking the Universe", lecture and motion picture by Ruroy Sibley
* Recess for refreshments
* Science Discussions 
* Dinner
==== Evening Session (8:30pm-midnight) ====
* The Science Fiction Dinner, in honour of Frank R. Paul "the best known and best liked science fiction artist".
* Adjournment to Tuesday, July Fourth, Independence Day.
=== Day 3 (Tuesday, July 4) ===
==== Afternoon Session (2:00pm-7:00pm) ====
* The Science Fiction Softball Game - "Science Fiction Professionals vs Science Fiction Fans"
* Supper Recess and adjournment to the New York World Fair Grounds
==== Evening Session (8:30pm-10:00pm) ====
* Independence Day fireworks
* Final Adjournment and Farewell.
== Speeches ==
== Reports ==
=== Forrest J Ackerman ===
=== Leslie Perri ===
Leslie Perri wasn't among the six Futurians who were kicked out on the first day, but her future husband Frederik Pohl was. Perri joined the other Futurians in a mini-con of "exiles" and printed a zine on the group's behalf that was distributed on the final day. (See In Your Teeth "Gentlemen".) She later gave a report for the Fantasy Fictioneer, writing in-character as an outsider observing the Futurians and New Fandom during Nycon.
Perri describes Donald A. Wollheim as "sour" and furious at Will Sykora. Cyril Kornbluth "waved his paws in glee at the the thought of devouring a Moskowitz steak or a Taurasi limb or a Sykora rump...." John B. Michel and Robert A. W. Lowndes seemed tired, while Jack Gillespie had "an eager little sneer for those in power in the hall upstairs". Dick Wilson and Perri were the most active in "converting" passers-by and lobbying for the Futurians. Kornbluth and Dirk Wylie both drank, and David A. Kyle was "quiet and convincing and very very earnest" with an eye after Wylie's supply of alcohol. (Perri, Wylie, Wilson and Kyle had not been barred from the con themselves, but they joined the six outcasts out of solidarity.)
The second page of Perri's report made brief mention of Forrest J Ackerman's green cape and Morojo's red satin "futuricostume", and then began to deliver backhanded compliments to Sykora, Moskowitz and Taurasi, ending with an invitation to Taurasi in particular: "The way that man can siddle up and down aisles in the pursuit of trouble.... Mr. Taurasi how about a date in a nice dark little alley? I'll bring my big brother,you bring the boys...."
=== Dick Wilson ===
Dick Wilson, one of the non-barred Futurians, was present for the first day but later joined the others in "exile".
Wilson reported that he watched the con's screening of Metropolis, but couldn't enjoy it fully because Isaac Asimov was delivering "wisecrax at 20-second intervals". Many people agreed with Leslie Perri that the Exclusion Act was unfair, but none were able to convince "the Unholy 3" (Moskowitz et al.). Wilson verified other eyewitness accounts that David A. Kyle stood up to give a short speech on science fiction and then switched to a plea for his fellow Futurians to be admitted, which Chairman Sykora dismissed.Dick Wilson in Escape #2 pg. 3. (August 1939)
=== Jack Robins ===
Jack Robins was another Futurian who made it into the convention hall.
=== Jack Speer ===
Despite Speer's belief right after the con that all the Futurians had been in on "A Warning", it was generally accepted later that David Kyle had been the only one responsible. There was a second set of Michelistic booklets that Michel and Pohl had printed off to distribute, but they were unaware of Kyle's plans.
Speer only managed to get about 30 copies of his fannish history Up to Now ready to sell, and most of them did. He reported that Sam Moskowitz said he'd already found two hundred mistakes, while Forrest J Ackerman expounded on several in more detail. Will Sykora publicly rebuked him over the history at the Monday banquet, and Julius Schwartz "hit the ceiling" when he read the first part. Robert A. W. Lowndes, however, had sent him a nice card, Ackerman had complimented his range of knowledge, and Louis Kuslan called it "superb".
Before the convention, Speer had created an alternate identity as a fan named John A. Bristol, and he wanted to create a stir with the revelation that it was him. He complained that Hyman Tiger wouldn't let him get close enough to the register to sign himself as John Bristol Speer. When he finally managed to show his nametag off, with "John Bristol" handwritten before Speer, he was disappointed by the reaction, except from Robert A. Madle, who "raised a bit more fuss" and Forrest J Ackerman, who "actually was astounded by the revelation".
There was a baseball game; Speer noted that Milton A. Rothman, Forrest J Ackerman, Morojo, Dale Hart, Dick Wilson and others were all absent, and said most people assumed they were with the Futurians, especially Ackerman and Morojo, who'd promised to meet Ray Bradbury at the game.
=== Joe Siclari ===
==Misc.==
Sometimes people claim that the pulp series "Captain Future“ was invented by Leo Margulies at Worldcon I, but that is just a rumour and not correct. Indeed, the series had been devised and drafted by him - together with Mort Weisinger - much earlier that year: A concept prospectus had been finished by end of June 1939Starlog 115, Feb. 1987, p. 16: „The Once and Future Captain“ (Will Murray), and the convention just came in handy for announcing the new characters.
== External Links ==
* Fanac.org has a number of NYcon photographs and documents available in their archive.
* TIME Magazine included a report on the convention in its July 10, 1939 issue
== References ==
Category:1939 Conventions
Category:Worldcons
Category:Science Fiction Conventions
Category:Conventions in United States