Oliver King Smith

(December 25, 1917 — August 5, 1983)

O. K. Smith was Earl Singleton's roommate at MIT in the early 1940s. He was already a reader of sf, but after he helped Singleton with the pseuicide by publicizing it for him, Bob Tucker built Smith into a fannish legend by writing humorous material about the hoax. In this bizarre way, Smith became a fan.

Some time later, Smith moved to LA and became a member of LASFS. Because of his initials and his association with the infamous hoax, many fans thought he was a hoax and refused to accept his existence. According to Harry Warner, Jr., he did attend sfnal events such as Pacificon and LASFS meetings in California.

He was a mathematician who worked on the space program at TRW. His children also all were in the sciences and some also became fans.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

(Tucker) offers a Fight-a-Feud service for Disgruntled Fen ("broken friendships a specialty"). OKS, who signed and sent out the letters announcing the pseuicide, was said to be a college friend and room-neighbor of Singleton's, and got royally toasted by the authorities for his involvement with zombie, but was not actually a fan. Tucker's use of the name had no connection with the actual bearer thereof.

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Person

1917—1983

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