1942 Michiconference
Michicon 2, the 1942 Michiconference, was a convention held September 27, 1942, at the Otsego Hotel in Jackson, MI. About 25 fans were on hand and one, Phil Bronson, reportedly rated it as better than the Denvention, the 1941 Worldcon. Ray Palmer was announced as GoH but did not show up.
During the convention, the MFS as well as a group from Iowa were admitted to the MFFF. Tucker was elected as Coordinator and Dr. Alan Becker was elected President. Several state groups failed to have elections due to lack of attendees.
There was an oratory contest of sorts at the opening session — in a series of 1-minute speeches, Claude Degler and Walt Liebscher were judged to be the best orators.
A comic conrep by Liebscher in Le Zombie 50 (December 1942), also named as attendees Abby Lu Ashley, Al Ashley, Manson Brackney, Dalvan Coger, Niel DeJack, E. E. Evans, Dick Kuhn, Marvon Levene, Earl Perry, Frank Robinson, Sam Russell, Oliver E. Saari, Harris M. Schmarje, Doc Smith, Dorothy Tomkins, Tommy Tomkins, Bob Tucker, Jane Tucker, Julius Unger and Jack Wiedenbeck. Jack Speer and Dale Tarr are known to have attended, as well.
Phil Bronson wrote a conrep, too, which appeared in Fantasite 10 (October–November 1942), reporting that he and the three other Minneapolis fans (Brackney, Russell and Saari) traveled together by Stfnash, stopping at Liebscher’s apartment in Joliet, Illinois, on the way to Battle Creek, where they stopped at the Ashleys’ before continuing on to Jackson.
He mentioned Helen Perry and Jean Smith as other attendees. Confusingly, Bronson wrote that Pong didn’t attend the con, but that Jane Tucker drove herself with DeJack, Robinson and Liebscher as passengers on the way there and himself, DeJack, Levene, Robinson Schmarje for the return trip. As he went into considerable detail, that may be the correct version. Also, Liebscher did another conrep, appearing in the same issue of Fantasite, which doesn’t mention Bob attending and says Unger only sent a letter.
The convention ended with dinner at Dorothy and Tommy Tomkins’ home in Jackson.
Fans leaving the second Michiconference feared that it might be the last convention during the War due to the shortages and rationing. As it turned out, this did not happen. See early conventions.
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