Clarrissa Smith
(December 13, 1921 – August 5, 1970)
Clarrissa MacDougal “Honey” Smith (later Wilcox) was a founding member of The National Fantasy Fan Federation (N3F) in 1941, along with her father, famed pro E. E. "Doc" Smith. She appeared in the first masquerade, at Chicon in 1940. According to Bob Tucker, the speech she gave at Chicon was better than her dad’s.
She was named for her mother’s sister, sharing her name with Clarissa Kinnison, one of the main characters in the Lensman saga, though in her case, there was an extra R, at least officially — she signed the Chicon Guest Book as “Clarissa MacDougal Smith,” and appears in other references as “Clarissa,” but her marriage license and gravestone show two Rs.
Clarrissa grew up in Michigan and married Ralph Wilcox in 1941. Their son Douglas died at 8 months in 1944. She doesn’t seem to have been active in fandom after that. She died in 1970 and is buried in Roseland Memorial Garden in Jackson, MI. Ralph Wilcox died in 1977.
| Person | 1921—1970 |
| This is a biography page. Please extend it by adding more information about the person, such as fanzines and apazines published, awards, clubs, conventions worked on, GoHships, impact on fandom, external links, anecdotes, etc. See Standards for People and The Naming of Names. |
