George Nims Raybin
(July 4, 1923 – May 31, 1970)
George Nims Raybin, a New York fan, become active in the ’40s and was probably most famous for his involvement in the WSFS, Inc., affair in the mid-late ’50s.
Raybin, a lawyer who did some civil rights work in the ’60s, was an early proponent of incorporating conventions to limit liability for the committee. That, combined with dissatisfaction with the non-businesslike way so many conventions were run in the ’40s and early ’50s led a group of NY fans: Raybin, Dave Kyle, Belle Dietz, and Frank Dietz to incorporate Nycon II and to turn the corporation into WSFS, Inc.. Raybin didn't handle the politics well — Noreen Falasca was especially bitter about his highhandedness — and before long the NY group was suing each other, and the rest of fandom just wanted WSFS, Inc. to go away. At Solacon, it did. (See also "The Raybin Story".)
He was an early Lunarian and proposed the name "Lunacon" for the New York regional. On his death, the Lunarians planned to establish a George Nims Raybin Award to be presented at Lunacon, but this seems to have not happened. He was a member of ESFA, the Fan-Vets, and the New York SF Circle. He was on the Metrocon 1 and Silvercon committees. He published Animus Curiae and Let George Say It (both for OMPA) and was one of the editors of Ground Zero (also for OMPA). He was active in the N3F and served on its Recruiting Committee.
One person remembers him: "he was able to rattle off a lot of the laws governing adult relationships with teenage girls; most involved incarceration, hanging and other worse fates. He had this cigar-shaped pipe that you put tobacco into, so he could smoke it at any angle. He also liked to wear Lederhosen and checked shirts to Lunarians meetings. Definitely a fannish character!" His obituary in Luna Monthly #15 says that "George was well known at conventions for his putrid cigars and odd pipes, as well as his helpfulness to young fans."
Photo at St. Louiscon, 1969.
- Animus Curiae (for OMPA)
- Ground Zero (for OMPA)
- Let George Say It (for OMPA)
- Nimbel [1959-] (with Belle Dietz, for OMPA)
| Person | 1923—1970 |
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