Eastbay Club

A club, also called the Eastbay Science Correspondence Club and the Eastbay Scientific Association, supposedly organized in April 1928 in the eastern part of the Bay Area by Aubrey MacDermott, which has a somewhat dubious claim to be the First Club. It also seems to have been called the Golden Gate Scientific Association.

MacDermott describes it in “Aubrey MacDermott on the Origins of Fandom” (which see for a list of members). See also the letter from Fred Patten in File 770 15, p. 23 disputing MacDermott’s claims.

Early members included Clifton Amsbury, Louis Smith, and Lester Anderson. Forrest J Ackerman was also a member, although not an active one, being too young to travel across town by himself, according to MacDermott. However, since McDermott’s roster claimed members from as far away as New Zealand, it may well have really been mainly a correspondence club.

According to his daughter, Amsbury remembered that he was 18 when he met MacDermott. He was born July 16, 1910, so it appears that he met MacDermott sometime between July 16, 1928 and 29. This makes it likely that the club was formed by July 1929. She also remembers the club being active while she was living at home (30s and 40s).

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Club

1928—1937

This is a club page. Please extend it by adding information about when and where the club met, when and by whom it was founded, how long it was active, notable accomplishments, well-known members, clubzines, any conventions it ran, external links to the club's website, other club pages, etc. When there's a floreat (Fl.), this indicates the time or times for which we have found evidence that the club existed. This is probably not going to represent the club's full lifetime, so please update it if you can!