Helen Finn
(June 4, 1904 – July 6, 1943)
Helen (Dorothy) Finn (née Warner) was the first woman Director (president) of LASFS, and possibly of any fan organization, elected at the end of 1941. Forrest J Ackerman wrote in Shangri L'Affaires B/2 (January 1942, p. 1) she was “Virtually swept into Office” (seemingly defeating the previous three-term Walter J. Daugherty). She had previously been the club Librarian, . Her profile said:
Helen Finn read the Burroughs books, began magazine science fiction with Argosy 1921. Has read about all the representative fantasy. Almost was published herself in Weird Tales of the Wright era. Saw LASFS’ write-up in Weird while in Mexico, made up mind when she returned to Los Angeles she wanted a new circle of friends and decided to find out what the imagi-natives were like. She sees no reason for fandom’s collapse due to war. Believes the standards of stf writing have improved over the years. First favorite, A. Merritt, followed by the old Kline; in the newer writers, dislikes Asimov, gets a lot of laffs out of Kuttner, 100% for Heinlein.
Helen Warner was born in Indianapolis, and in June 1922 married John M. Finn (April 9, 1888 – 1961). The whole family moved to LA some time between 1935 and 1940.[1] The Finns' two daughters were also LASFans and married within the club, Dorothy (1922–2004) to Henry Hasse and Peggy (1924–2007) to William Crawford around the same time in July 1942.[2] Helen's younger sister Lora Crozetti followed them to the club in late 1942. Even Helen's mother (who may actually have given her daughters interest in SF in the first place, as she "has read science fiction ever since the ARGOSY days"; Shaggy 23) and then-5-year-old niece attended club events – a report on the 1945 LASFS Fanquet in Shangri-L'Affaires 23 (February 1945, p. 11) noted:
Introduced as '3 generations of fans' were Lora Crozetti, her Mother--Mrs Eva Roberson, and her daughter--Jeanne Crozetti.
Helen Finn's first appearance in Shangri-L'Affaires seems to be October 1941 (A/13), p. 1, where she has a one-line quote largely in Spanish ("todos nosotros somos locos!"), clearly referring to her recent arrival from Mexico.
Finn bought nearly all of Art Joquel’s sf collection (announced in Shaggy B/3, Feby 1942) but had to auction it off weeks later when she moved to Washington, DC. Shangri-L'Affaires B/4 (July 1942) announced:
at an early hour this evening [Memorial Day, 30 May] Helen, Peggy, & Dorothy Finn are autoing across continent with another prominent Angeleno, Bill Crawford … to tak[e] up life in DC.
It also said “Helen Finn has been a writer for Paramount Studios”, and praised her "five months as Directrix-LASFS". Shangri-L'Affaires 7 (December 1942, p. 2) recapped in a year’s end summary:
#4 Helen, Peggy, and Dorothy Finn leave LA for WashingtonDC along with Henry Hasse and Bill Crawford. Helen sells stf collection, resigns from Directrixship of LASFS.
The same issue, though, reported "Ex-Directrix Finn has just returned" to L.A. (certainly before Dec 13, see January 1943 issue). Light #120 (September 1942) had announced Finn "leaving actifandom" in Washington; however, Shangri-L'Affaires show her still very involved in everyday club activities, even helping others pub a zine. At the little-attended club meeting on 24 December (Shaggy, January 1943)Finn together with Alojo and Sid Dean "were nominated" (for President), but Paul Freehafer, who took up the function after Finn's resignation, was re-elected.
Finn's premature death[3] was noted in brief by "Phil" in Fanewscard #5, 31 July. Nothing more has been found – very strangely, even the clubzine Shangri-L'Affaires’s August 1943 issue mentions her and the Hasses' presence at the annual beach party late May (p. 4) and an undated club meeting with auction (p. 7) but nothing at all about her death even in September. The death certificate gives her profession as film cutter.
- Stench [1942 single issue]; Pavlat-Evans give her as coeditor with a "Street"
| Person | 1904—1943 |
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- ↑ There are no mentions of John in fanzines, but the 1940 census (col. 17 etc. for 1935) shows them all living together, with his job a policeman at a "motion picture studio". Yet, on New Year's Eve 1942/3 a few LASFAnettes "went to Finn’s house", Shaggy B/8 Jan 1943.
- ↑ Shaggy B/5, Sep '42, p. 1; already the previous, August issue #5 contained innuendo "it's rumored that Peggy Finn and Crawford were hitched", p. 7.
- ↑ In hospital after 3 days of coronary thrombosis caused by angina pectoris; see death record
