Conrad H. Ruppert
(November 12, 1912 – August 26, 1997)
Conrad Henry "Connie" Ruppert became an SF fan at age 10 when he was confined to bed with rheumatic fever and was given Hugo Gernsback's Science and Invention to read. He began reading every issue, and at age 12 applied for a card that made him a Science and Invention reporter.
During 1929–30, while studying engineering at Indiana's Tri State College, he maintained an active correspondence with Raymond Palmer and Walter Dennis. In 1930, Gernsback gave him a prize for his contributions to SF. He was active in sponsoring Science Fiction Week.
Ruppert bought a small hand-operate letterpress in the early 1930s and set up ARRA Publishers with a friend, Donald Alexander, and reprinted an A. Merritt story. After getting a mimeoed copy of The Time Traveller from its editor Allen Glasser, he offered to print it, which he did starting with the third issue, dated March 1932. He also printed all 18 issues of The Fantasy Fan. During 1932–35 Ruppert produced some of the finest periodicals in SF. He published Fantasy Magazine with Julius Schwartz. After Stanley Weinbaum died, the Milwaukee Fictioneers decided to print a memorial volume of Weinbaum’s stories. Ruppert printed it at cost.
After attending Nycon 1, Ruppert was drafted in 1942 and discharged for medical reason in 1943. While continuing read SF, he dropped out of fandom during World War II. He returned 50 years later when he attended MagiCon, the 1992 Worldcon. During the last five years of his life, he corresponded once again with long-time friends, participated in the First Fandom club and attended conventions.
Awards, Honors and GoHships:
- 1930 — Gernsback prize for contributions to SF
- 1994 — Raymond Z. Gallun Award
- 2023 — First Fandom Hall of Fame (posthumous)
| Person | 1912—1997 |
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