Above: Robert A. Madle in 1938

The Origin of First Fandom

(by Robert A. Madle)

The genesis of how it all began.  In 1958 I was working for the Department of Defense and was transferred from Washington D.C. to Indianapolis, Indiana.  I immediately got in touch with Ray Beam and Lee Ann Tremper and we formed a local science fiction club.  This led to Ray and me making several visits to the Cincinnati group, which was about a hundred miles to the east.  Don Ford and Lou Tabakow were the leaders of the club.  And by his own admission, Lou was the dictator.  He stated that he maneuvered to stay on permanently as president by never calling an official meeting.  One day in early October I received a call from Don Ford, saying that C.L. Barrett – “Doc” as he was then known – was having a small group over at his place in Bellefontaine, Ohio and I was invited.  Doc’s place was about a hundred and twenty-five miles from Indianapolis, so I said, “Sure.”

Arriving early that Saturday morning in October 1958, I looked around town and found a magazine store.  They had a few back issues, but not much.  But wait: what was that magazine thrown over there by a pile of LIBERTY magazines?  Could it be?  Yes, it was!  It was a copy of Gernsback’s short-lived TELEVISION NEWS, which I had never seen before.  This was indeed a precursor to the momentous events to follow that day.  

When I arrived at Doc’s office, the group was already there.  They consisted of Doc Barrett, Don Ford, Lou Tabakow, Ben Kiefer – four old-timers – and a youngster named Stan Skirvin.  We all sat around and drank beer and talked of the tumultuous events of the day.  Don had an ongoing feud with Walt Willis of Ireland, pertaining to the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund.  They had different issues with what constituted a fan.  Anyway, I had added to the problem by winning the TAFF in 1957.  The British fans had been pushing Dick Eney and were originally unhappy when I won.  Things worked out well over there for me, but Don was still in the P.O.’d stage.  

It was kind of an opportune coincidence how First Fandom came up.  Someone once claimed that he saw something written on a toilet wall, which said, “First Fandom is not dead!”  Recalling this, I said, “What SF needs is a new organization, one in which the old-time fans are paramount, instead of those young upstarts who wouldn’t know a 1933 AMAZING STORIES if he tripped on it.”  

Don was immediately for it, and said, “Great!  We can give recognition awards to the great authors of the past such as E.E. Smith, because none of them will ever get a Hugo.”  Everyone was enthusiastic about the idea, and great plans were conceived right then and there. Don said, “To be a member, one would have to be active in some phase of science fiction prior to January 1938.”  A magazine would be published periodically.  Don thought it should be a formal organization.  But serious things would be accomplished also, mainly, keeping the history of SF in front of the fans of SF today.  Membership credentials would be required and acceptance would be tough.  It would be a “Last Man Club,” with the last First Fandom member alive in a certain year knocking off a privately held fifth of liquor.  

Don suggested that I be president (this is Madle talking), as it was my idea.  Lou and he would share the secretary and treasurer’s duties.  Lynn Hickman was contacted and he became official editor.  Announcements were sent out, and the first person to join – Member Number One – was Robert Bloch.  Oh yes, I followed Lou’s advice, by never calling an official meeting.  I remained president for over twenty-five years.