[APAK logo] Issue #76, March 28th, 1997

The Little List of Dr. Fandom
by Ted White

Corflu Wave(less) is over now, and I carry away a number of enjoyable memories and a vicious cold/flu bug which hasn't let go for nearly two weeks now.

One of the things I do at Corflu each year is to preside over the election of the Past President of fwa. This is one of the events coordinated with the Sunday brunch/banquet (the food for which was quite good this year), and has been a "tradition" at Corflu since 1985 (Corflu 2).

A couple of years ago I asked that previously elected Past Presidents stand up. I had two reasons, and the other one was that I had forgotten just exactly who all the Past Presidents were by then. I got little cooperation on that occasion; most of those whom I did remember did not stand.

Andy Hooper subsequently sat down and tried to make a list. It was the starting point, and this year after he and I had gone over it, wracking our memories, we believed we had all but one. I queried the Assembled Multitude at the banquet, and that name was filled in to our satisfaction.

Before I present that list, I want to point out that fwa was founded at the 1984 LACon, and for a brief period of time Past Presidents were selected at both worldcons and Corflus. Those chosen at Corflu were the Past Presidents of the just-previous year. Those chosen at worldcons were retroactive, going back before 1983. This was not done in 1985 (when the Worldcon was in Australia), and was last done in 1986 (Atlanta). In 1985 and 1986 retroactive Past Presidents were also elected at Corflus. (Confused yet?)

That said, here's the list.

  1. LACon, 1984: Avedon Carol, 1983

  2. Corflu 2, 1985: Suzle Tompkins, 1984; Terry Carr, 1982

  3. Corflu 3, 1986: Lucy Huntzinger, 1985; Gary Farber, 1981

  4. Confederation, Atlanta, 1986: Ted White, 1980

  5. Corflu 4, 1987: rich brown, 1986

  6. Corflu 5, 1988: Judith Hanna & Joseph Nicholas, 1987; Stu Shiffman, 1979

  7. Corflu 6, 1989: Jeanne Gomoll, 1988

  8. Corflu 7, 1990: Harry Warner, 1989

  9. Corflu 8, 1991: Bill Bowers, 1990

  10. Corflu 9, 1992: Robert Lichtman, 1991

  11. Corflu 10, 1993: Bob Tucker, 1992

  12. Corflu 11, 1994: Jack Speer, 1993

  13. Corflu 12, 1995: Charles Burbee, 1994

  14. Corflu 13, 1996: Bob Shaw & Peter Roberts, 1995

  15. Corflu 14, 1997: Bill Rotsler, 1996; Lee Hoffman, 1951

As you can see, we did not stick inflexibly to a rigid format. In 1996, we honored Bob Shaw posthumously and Peter Roberts as well, since Peter had just returned from a decade-long gafiation and was attending that Corflu. And I think we voted Lee Past President for 1951 in celebration of the still-ongoing SCIENCE-FICTION FIVE-YEARLY, the first issue of which appeared in 1951. Sort of like the retro-Hugos . . . .

I offer this data here, in Fandom's Newszine of Record, in hopes of either inscribing it in a form of permanence, or eliciting any corrections that may be proffered. If anyone among you recalls a name or date not given on this list, please let us know.

Shall we engage in Farbitration?

[APAK logo] Issue #76, March 28th, 1997

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