First Fandom was founded as a “last man’s club.”  Requirements for membership were very clear:  If an applicant can prove that they were active in fandom prior to a specific date, they qualify to join First Fandom.  At the outset, the qualifying date was 1938, but a few years later it was officially extended to the date of the first Worldcon (July 1939).

A small number of “associate members” were allowed to join First Fandom over the next couple of decades.  These were mostly people who had been fans for a long time, but they had not been active prior to July 1939.  So, they became “associate members.”  The first to join as an associate member was Jay K. Klein, and then Jack Chalker.

As more time passed, an increasing number of fans were allowed to join as “associate members.”  The leadership of the organization transitioned to associate members and soon, new rules for membership were introduced (“continuous activity in fandom for over thirty years” would qualify them as associate members).  

All during this time, panel discussions with members of First Fandom were held at various worldcons and FF reunions, and there was general concern that there were a lot of people who belonged to First Fandom that were unknown to the original members.

At the time of this writing (2015), there were still six real members of First Fandom left (people who were active as fans prior to July 1939).  I have listened to many of these fans, and while they don’t want a bunch of young fans belonging to the group, they also don’t want the organization to simply fade away.

After the last original members are gone, how can our organization legitimately continue to refer to itself as “First Fandom” when none of the remaining younger associate members were active prior to July 1939?  And, if every fan can apply for associate membership after thirty years of activity, is it possible that everyone in fandom could eventually be an associate member of First Fandom?  That doesn’t make any sense.

I am proposing to create a new organization entitled the “First Fandom Foundation.”  

The First Fandom Foundation will embrace the original members while they are alive, and also allow younger fans to participate in the organization, long-term.  All current members of First Fandom will automatically become “charter members” of the First Fandom Foundation.  Everyone who is currently an “original member” of First Fandom will automatically belong to the First Fandom Foundation.  Everyone who is currently an “associate member” of First Fandom will also automatically belong to the Foundation.

And, if other fans want to join the First Fandom Foundation, they need to be able to demonstrate that their activity in fandom goes back at least thirty years.  Or, if any fan wants to participate (but doesn’t meet the qualifications), they can become a Sustaining Patron (pay membership dues, receive the newsletter, cannot run for office or vote).

The First Fandom Foundation will keep alive the memories of First Fandom, by presenting the annual FF Awards at the Worldcon, exhibiting the annual FF Display at the worldcon, publishing the quarterly newsletter, partnering with the administrators of Big Heart Award, maintaining the FF Archive, and building membership in the FF Foundation.

— John L. Coker III