The Washington, DC club, one of the older continuing clubs. Since 2001 it has run Capclave and the occasional Datclave, and ran Disclave through 1997. It ran Discon in 1963 and Discon II in 1974, and ran a number of losing Worldcon bids (DC in 1960, DC in 007, and DC in 2011.) It ran SMOFcon 22 in 2004 and the 29th World Fantasy Convention in 2003.
It was founded in 1947 by seven people (Russell Swanson (the first president), Robert Briggs (vice president), Franklin Kerkhof (secretary-treasurer), Bob Pavlat, Chick Derry, Phyllisann Courtis, and Reginald ‘Ray’ Courtis) who had met at Philcon I. They met every other Sunday, in the Transportation Building, in Washington DC, until 1953.
In 1967 Alexis Gilliland started hosting First Fridays at his home, which continued until 2006. Third Fridays over the years met at many fan's houses, including the Pavlats, Jay and Vol Haldeman, Kent Bloom and Mary Morman's, the Heneghan/Normandy residence, the Burgess’, Lewis/Peacock home, the Ginters’.
Starting in 1949, they began publishing Quanta, and in 1953 held the first Disclave. Disclaves were held sporadically at first, then every year from 1965 through 1997. In 1959, WSFAn Dick Eney published Fancyclopedia II — it wasn't a WSFA project, however.
In 1960 meetings moved to the first and third Fridays, which still remains the schedule. In 1963, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) was founded by WSFA members returning late at night on a Trailways bus from a WSFA meeting to their homes in Baltimore.
The first issue of The WSFA Journal was published in March, 1965. Except for a three year gap, 1975-78, it’s been published regularly ever since. Don Miller was the editor for its first and most prolific ten years. Son of the WSFA Journal began in 1969.
In 1975, Don Miller founded the Potomac River Science Fiction Society (PRSFS).
The second series of The WSFA Journal and the Son of the WSFA Journal was started by Somtow Sucharitkul, Joe Mayhew, Jack Lechner, and others, and has been published approximately monthly ever since. We have all the second series issues online.
In 1980, WSFA hosted a relaxacon, Datclave, to commemorate February having a fifth Friday, and it continued to hold February or March relaxacons each year through 1985. Datclave II was held in 2008 as February again had a 5th Friday.
In 1984 Somtow Sucharitkul and Timothy R. Sullivan left WSFA and founded the short-lived Washington Alternative SF Association (WASFA).
WSFA Press was started in 1989, and through 1992 published a book by each Disclave’s Guest of Honor. It was revived in 2005.
Well-known deceased members of WSFS: Bob Pavlat, Chick Derry, Joe Mayhew, Don Miller, Dick Eney, Doll Gilliland, Pat Kelly.
See also List of Disclaves, List of Capclaves.
Website: http://wsfa.org/site/.
| from Fancyclopedia 2 ca, 1959 |
| see Washington DC |
