Chicon III
The 20th Worldcon, and third in Chicago, Chicon III was held August 31–September 3, 1962, at the Pick-Congress Hotel in Chicago, IL. GoH: Theodore Sturgeon. Wilson Tucker was toastmaster. Chairman: Earl Kemp, Treasurer: George W. Price, Secretary: Rosemary Hickey, with about 550 fans attending.
It arose from the Chicago in 1962 bid and was awarded the convention at the 1962 Site Selection at Seacon the previous year. It hosted the 1963 Worldcon Site Selection. Trichicon was a nickname that didn’t catch on.
The membership fee was $3 (up $1 from Chicon II.) Hotel rates were low: $7 single, $13 double, suites $35 and parking $0.35/day.
The N3F was considered a working partner of the convention committee, and the entire convention committee joined it. The N3F ran a coffee and cookie hospitality room. Jerry Pournelle, then a young fan working for Boeing, took the IQ of fans. Ed Emshwiller brought some of his 16mm films, and Bjo Trimble's Project Art Show featured a Photo Salon.
The theme of the Costume Party was "The Hell-Fire Club Masquerade Ball" and a professional orchestra was hired for the event. Dave & Ruth Kyle, Steve & Virginia Schultheis, and Jock Root won a prize as Flash Gordon adventure characters (Dave was Ming the Merciless).
The Tenth Anniversary Willis Fund brought Walt and Madeleine Willis to the convention.
It presented the 1962 Hugos.
Proceedings of the con were published by Advent:Publishers and provided free to all attending members of the con (who wanted to pay the .50 postage).
The first chapter of S. M. Stirling's excellent In the Halls of the Crimson Kings takes place at a pro party at Chicon III in an alternate world.
- Chicon III Program.
- Chicon III publications and photos on fanac.org.
- Dave Kyle's Chicon 3 Reminiscence for the Noreascon 3 PB.
- Our Fan in Chicago, conrep by Walter Breen.
- Wrai Ballard's long con report
Seacon | Worldcon - Bidding - Hugos | Discon I |
Chicon II | Chicon | Chicon IV |
1962 |
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