1938 Philadelphia Conference

The 1938 Philadelphia Conference was a convention chaired by Milton Rothman which was held in Philadelphia on Sunday, Oct 16, 1938. In some respects, this con was a major battle in the war between the Futurians and New Fandom. It was sponsored by New Fandom, and the Futurians had announced their intention to run a "Fifth Eastern" convention in New York City on the same day in competition with the Philadelphia Conference. But a few weeks before the date, they called off their convention and announced plans to attend the Philadelphia convention en masse. In the event, the Futurians did not show up.

The convention attracted "a little over two dozen fans", including New Fandom delegates Sykora, Taurasi, Thomas S. Gardner, Robert G. Thompson, and Moskowitz, many members of PSFS, including John Baltadonis, Jack Agnew, Milt Rothman, Jack Johnson, Helen Cloukey, Milton Asquith, Lee Blatt, Thomas Whiteside, and Oswald Train. Other attendees included William Pearlman from Baltimore, Jack Speer from Washington, DC, pros John D. Clark, Otto Binder, David Vern and Mort Weisinger.

The program:

• A discussion of New Fandom and its plans for --world domination-- a World Science Fiction Convention
• A round-table discussion on the purpose of science-fiction.
• Reading a 700-word telegram from John W. Campbell, Jr. who had been unable to attend.
• A dinner
• A marionette show by Milt Rothman.

See also Early Conventions.

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Convention
	1938

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