Ozark Science Fiction Association
OSFA, Ozark Science Fiction Association, is a St. Louis-area club which was founded in 1965 to unite the various small fan groups in Greater St. Louis.
After a chance meeting in a bookstore between Jim Hall and Ray and Joyce Fisher, Jim Hall and his son Dave Hall hosted a meeting in their home to organize OSFA. Other fans attending included Ray and Joyce Fisher, Hank Luttrell, Rich Wannen, Harold Steele and his son Jack Steele.
It grew to be a fairly large club with 50-60 members and fairly oriented towards fanzines. At first, meetings were at members' homes with 20-30 people present. They later moved to the Main Branch of the St. Louis Public Library and then to the St Louis Museum of Natural History when Donn Brazier, a member, was a curator. Joyce Fisher described the museum meeting place as "a charming room dominated by a fireplace and shelves of curious exhibits." An invitational club, The Saturday People was a fanzine fan spin-off of it.
Later members included Leigh Couch, Norbert Couch, Chris Couch, Lesleigh Couch, and Mike Couch, Pam Janisch, Sue Robinson, Bob Schoenfeld, Doc Clarke, Chester Malon, Donn Brazier, Paul Willis, Sim Pierce, and Ron Whittington.
OSFA sponsored Ozarkon and sponsored the St. Louis in '69 Worldcon bid and the resulting convention, St. Louiscon, the 1969 Worldcon.
St. Louiscon proved very stressful and after the Worldcon, the club lost key members like Joyce Fisher, who moved to New York, Hank & Lesleigh Luttrell went off to college, Dave Hall gafiated, and Rich Wannen was drafted. Additionally, the influx of younger members changed the club and it developed a reputation for rowdiness, which alienated the older members. The club lasted into the early 70s -- the last Ozarkon was in 1972 -- and organized fandom in St. Louis did not again arise until late in the 70s when the St. Louis Science Fiction Association was formed.
In 1967 its president was John Steele.
| Club | 1965—1970s |
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