1969 Worldcon Site Selection
The 1969 Worldcon was selected by Baycon, the 1968 Worldcon. The bidders were St. Louis in '69 and Columbus in '69.
As was the practice in those days, the bids were nominated at the WSFS Business Meeting session of the Worldcon (it was an hour of the single-track program) and seconded by prominent fans and pros. St. Louis in '69 was presented by Ray Fisher and seconded by Terry Carr and Harlan Ellison. Columbus in '69 was presented by Larry Smith and seconded by Forry Ackerman and Harry Harrison (as one report said, "with Jan Trenholm as decoration").
St. Louis in '69 had been identified with newer, modern fandom, while Columbus in '69 had been identified with an older, more political side. Open antipathy between the bids was evident. Columbus supporter Brian Burley had moved to St. Louis to keep an eye on St. Louis fandom. After St. Louis won, ill feelings quickly dissipated, since Burley had become likeable during his stay in St. Louis and Columbus chairman Larry Smith and other supporters helped out at the St. Louiscon, then returned afterwards for after-con celebration party.
It was an overwhelming victory for St. Louis.
| Bidder | Votes |
|---|---|
| St. Louis in '69 | 393 |
| Columbus in '69 | 5 |
| Acapulco | 5 |
| Tel Aviv | 4 |
| Tijuana | 2 |
| London | 2 |
| Minneapolis | 1 |
| Leningrad | 1 |
| Mohave Desert | 1 |
| Deer Knuckles, BC | 1 |
| Skill Island | 1 |
| Seattle | 1 |
| No Answer | 1 |
| 1968 | Worldcon Site Selection | 1970 | 1969 |
| This is page about convention bidding, the competition and its outcome. Please extend it by adding information about who was bidding, and how the race went. |
