Difference between revisions of "Philcon I"

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The 1947 [[Worldcon]], and [[Philadelphia Worldcons|first in Philadelphia]], Philcon I was held August 30 to September 1 in the Penn-Sheraton Hotel in [[Philadelphia]], PA. The [[GoH]] was [[John W. Campbell, Jr.]].  
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(For other "Philcons" see [[Philcon (Disambiguation)]].)
  
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[[L. Jerome Stanton]] was [[Toastmaster]] and it was chaired by [[Milton Rothman]].  Attendance was about 160.
 
  
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The convention was (nominally, anyway) put on by the [[Philcon Society]] which was an open membership group that existed for that sole purpose. The [[committee]] was: [[Oswald Train]], [[Robert A. Madle]], [[Jack Agnew]], [[A. E. Waldo]], [[James A. Williams]], [[A. M. Phillips]].  [[Big Pond Fund]]: [[F. J. Ackerman]], California Representative: [[James Hevelin]], New York Representative: [[William S. Sykora]].
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The fifth [[Worldcon]], and [[Pennsylvania Worldcons|first in Pennsylvania]], '''Philcon''' was held August 30 to September 1, 1947, in the Penn-Sheraton Hotel in [[Philadelphia]], PA. The [[GoH]] was [[John W. Campbell, Jr.]]. It is retroactively referred to as '''Philcon I'''.
  
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Bidders:?? See [[1947 Worldcon Site Selection]].
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[[L. Jerome Stanton]] was [[Toastmaster]] and [[Milton Rothman]] was [[chairman]].  Attendance was about 160. See [[Philcon I Membership List]].
  
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See [[Philcon I Program]] and Milton Rothman's [[Rothman Philcon I Remembrance|remembrance]] for the [[Noreascon Three]] [[PB]]. [[Margaret Trebing]] did a [[Philcon I Report Margaret Trebing|report]] on Philcon I for the [[MilPhil]] [[PR]] 3
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The [[convention]] was (nominally, anyway) put on by the [[Philcon Society]] which was an open membership group that existed for that sole purpose. The [[committee]] was:
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*[[Chairman]]: [[Milton A. Rothman]]
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*[[Editor]]: [[Robert A. Madle]]
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*[[Publicity]]:  [[Oswald Train]]
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*Printing]]:  [[James A. Williams]]
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*Historian: [[A. M. Phillips]]
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*[[Big Pond Fund]] Chairman: [[F. J. Ackerman]]
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*[[California]] Representative: [[James Hevelin]]
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*[[New York]] Representative: [[William S. Sykora]]
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*Others: [[Jack Agnew]], [[A. E. Waldo]]
  
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{{link | website=http://2001.worldcon.org/pubs/pr3milph.pdf|text=PR3}}
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Philadelphia won at the [[1947 Worldcon Site Selection]] at [[Pacificon]] in 1946. In the [[1948 Worldcon Site Selection]], held at Philcon, there were two bids for the 1948 Worldcon, [[Toronto in 1948]] and [[Milwaukee in 1948]].  
  
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Philcon was just a bit rowdy. in ''[[All Our Yesterdays]]'', [[Harry Warner]] reports that
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==Activities==
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  Perhaps the first of the big drunken worldcon parties followed in the [[Buffalo Book Company|Hadley]] suite where [[Fantasy Press]] and [[Prime Press]] provided much liquor. Fans gaped in disbelief at [[Campbell]] sitting on the floor, helping [[Hubert Rogers]] and [[Benson Dooling]] to sing a variety of bawdy ditties. The hotel staff did not interrupt, because there was a Sigma Alpha Rho convention in the hotel and the kids got blamed for all the noise that the fans made. This demonstrated Emerson's philosophy about compensation, as applied to fandom, because at the [[Pacificon]] the other convention in the meeting place had been that of Alcoholics Anonymous.
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Philcon was just a bit rowdy. In ''[[All Our Yesterdays]]'', [[Harry Warner]] reports that
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  Perhaps the first of the big [[Drinking|drunken]] worldcon parties followed in the [[Buffalo Book Company|Hadley]] suite where [[Fantasy Press]] and [[Prime Press]] provided much [[liquor]]. [[Fans]] gaped in disbelief at [[Campbell]] sitting on the floor, helping [[Hubert Rogers]] and [[Benson Dooling]] to sing a variety of bawdy ditties.  
  
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But that's not all! At some point during the drinking session in the Hadley suite, [[Jack Speer]] remembered that he had fireworks in his car, [[Quintessence of FooFoo]], He, [[Al Lopez]], [[Ron Christensen]], and [[Chan Davis]] went down, retrieved the fireworks and started setting them off. After the police came by and warned them to stop, they returned to the hotel and started setting them off from the various fire escapes (in those days a hotel was frequently festooned with fire escapes). The police did not find this amusing and they paid $5.00 apiece for disturbing the peace. (It did not go entirely to waste because the [[Willy Ley]] used the fireworks to find his way to the hotel.)
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The hotel staff did not interrupt, because there was a Sigma Alpha Rho convention in the hotel, and the kids got blamed for all the noise that the fans made. This demonstrated Emerson's philosophy about compensation, as applied to [[fandom]], because, at the [[Pacificon]], the other convention in the meeting place had been that of Alcoholics Anonymous.
  
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A [[combozine]], the ''[[Philcon Memory Book]]'' was published for the convention.
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=== Fireworks Furor ===
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But that's not all! At some point during the drinking session in the Hadley suite, [[Jack Speer]] remembered that he had [[fireworks]] in his car, [[Quintessence of FooFoo]]. He, [[Al Lopez]], [[Ron Christensen]], and [[Chan Davis]] went down, retrieved the fireworks and started setting them off. After the police came by and warned them to stop, they returned to the hotel and started setting them off from the various fire escapes (in those days a hotel was frequently festooned with fire escapes). The police did not find this amusing, and the fans paid $5 each for disturbing the peace. (It did not go entirely to waste because the [[Willy Ley]] used the fireworks to find his way to the hotel.)
  
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There were two bids for the 1948 Worldcon, [[Toronto in 1948]] and [[Milwaukee in 1948]].   See [[1948 Worldcon Site Selection]].
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==Program==
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===SATURDAY, AUGUST 30===
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* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
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* Greetings and introductions by the [[Chairman]].
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* Main Speaker: [[John W. Campbell]] (on Atomic Power).
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* Intermission: 15 minutes.
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* The Editors Speak. ([[Sam Merwin]])
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* Introduction of Resolutions and Discussion of [[Fan]] Business.
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* Evening Session: 8 p.m.
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* Messages from Publishers.
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* Auction of Books and Original Illustrations. ([[Sam Moskowitz]] and [[Erle Korshak]])
  
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See the [[Philcon I membership list]].
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===SUNDAY, AUGUST 31===
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* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
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* Speaker: [[L. Sprague de Camp]], "Adventures in the Occult."
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* Discussion: "Is Science Catching up with Science: Fiction?" Conducted by [[Chan Davis]].
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* Intermission.
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* Speaker: [[Erle M. Korshak]]. "The [[Collecting]] and Enjoyment of [[Fantasy]] Literature."
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* The [[Eastern Science Fiction Association]]. (meeting)
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* Evening Session: 8 p.m.
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* Entertainment by [[fans]] and [[authors]], [[L. Jerome Stanton]], Master of Ceremonies.
  
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Pacificon Program Book Bid ad
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===MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1===
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http://fanac.org/fanzines/Pacificon/Pacificon1pb-03.jpeg
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* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
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* Speaker: [[George O. Smith]].
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* Symposium on Interplanetary Travel: [[Willy Ley]], [[Thomas Gardner, Ph.D]].
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* Intermission.
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* [[BM|Fan business]], final discussion on resolutions, financial report, [[Site Selection|choosing of site]] for next convention.
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* [[Banquet]]: 7 p.m.
  
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{{convention | series1=Philcon | series=Worldcon | year=1947 | before=Pacificon I | after=Torcon I | files=http://files.fancyclopedia.org/Philcon I | after1=Philcon II}}
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==More reading ==
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* ''[[Philcon Memory Book]]''.
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* [[Philcon I Reminiscence (Rothman)]].
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* [[Philcon I Reminiscence (Trebing)]].
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* [https://fanac.org/conpubs/Worldcon/Millennium%20Philcon/MilPhil%20PR%203.pdf Historical articles] in [[Millennium Philcon]] [[PR]] 3.
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* {{conpubs |series=Worldcon|con=Philcon I}}.
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{{fancy2|text=
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from '''[[Convention]]''' PhilCon I produced by the [[Philadelphia SFS]] was loaded, [[chairman]] [[Rothman]] selfcriticizes, with too much heavy science on the program, but [[Speer]] and some friends managed to lighten things up a little with the [[Fireworks Furor]].
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}}
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{{convention | series1=Pennsylvania Worldcons | series=Worldcon | year=1947 | before=Pacificon I | after=Torcon I | after1=Philcon II}}
 
[[Category:US]]
 
[[Category:US]]
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[[Category:Condex]]
 
 
[[Category:Worldcon]]
 
[[Category:Worldcon]]
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Philcon}}

Latest revision as of 07:27, 12 June 2023

(For other "Philcons" see Philcon (Disambiguation).)


The fifth Worldcon, and first in Pennsylvania, Philcon was held August 30 to September 1, 1947, in the Penn-Sheraton Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. The GoH was John W. Campbell, Jr.. It is retroactively referred to as Philcon I.

L. Jerome Stanton was Toastmaster and Milton Rothman was chairman. Attendance was about 160. See Philcon I Membership List.

The convention was (nominally, anyway) put on by the Philcon Society which was an open membership group that existed for that sole purpose. The committee was:

Philadelphia won at the 1947 Worldcon Site Selection at Pacificon in 1946. In the 1948 Worldcon Site Selection, held at Philcon, there were two bids for the 1948 Worldcon, Toronto in 1948 and Milwaukee in 1948.

Activities[edit]

Philcon was just a bit rowdy. In All Our Yesterdays, Harry Warner reports that 

Perhaps the first of the big drunken worldcon parties followed in the Hadley suite where Fantasy Press and Prime Press provided much liquor. Fans gaped in disbelief at Campbell sitting on the floor, helping Hubert Rogers and Benson Dooling to sing a variety of bawdy ditties.

The hotel staff did not interrupt, because there was a Sigma Alpha Rho convention in the hotel, and the kids got blamed for all the noise that the fans made. This demonstrated Emerson's philosophy about compensation, as applied to fandom, because, at the Pacificon, the other convention in the meeting place had been that of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Fireworks Furor[edit]

But that's not all! At some point during the drinking session in the Hadley suite, Jack Speer remembered that he had fireworks in his car, Quintessence of FooFoo. He, Al Lopez, Ron Christensen, and Chan Davis went down, retrieved the fireworks and started setting them off. After the police came by and warned them to stop, they returned to the hotel and started setting them off from the various fire escapes (in those days a hotel was frequently festooned with fire escapes). The police did not find this amusing, and the fans paid $5 each for disturbing the peace. (It did not go entirely to waste because the Willy Ley used the fireworks to find his way to the hotel.)

Program[edit]

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30[edit]

* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
* Greetings and introductions by the Chairman.
* Main Speaker: John W. Campbell (on Atomic Power).
* Intermission: 15 minutes.
* The Editors Speak. (Sam Merwin)
* Introduction of Resolutions and Discussion of Fan Business.
* Evening Session: 8 p.m.
* Messages from Publishers.
* Auction of Books and Original Illustrations. (Sam Moskowitz and Erle Korshak)

SUNDAY, AUGUST 31[edit]

* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
* Speaker: L. Sprague de Camp, "Adventures in the Occult."
* Discussion: "Is Science Catching up with Science: Fiction?" Conducted by Chan Davis.
* Intermission.
* Speaker: Erle M. Korshak. "The Collecting and Enjoyment of Fantasy Literature."
* The Eastern Science Fiction Association. (meeting)
* Evening Session: 8 p.m. 
* Entertainment by fans and authors, L. Jerome Stanton, Master of Ceremonies.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1[edit]

* Afternoon Session: 1 p.m.
* Speaker: George O. Smith.
* Symposium on Interplanetary Travel: Willy Ley, Thomas Gardner, Ph.D.
* Intermission.
* Fan business, final discussion on resolutions, financial report, choosing of site for next convention.
* Banquet: 7 p.m.

More reading[edit]

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
from Convention PhilCon I produced by the Philadelphia SFS was loaded, chairman Rothman selfcriticizes, with too much heavy science on the program, but Speer and some friends managed to lighten things up a little with the Fireworks Furor.


Pacificon I Worldcon - Bidding - Hugos Torcon I
first Pennsylvania Worldcons Philcon II
1947
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