THE TRANSATLANTIC FAN FUND is one of the many "wonders" of science-fiction fandom. Like fandom’s "Marshall Plan" of 1949, when the Cinvention voted to send s-f mags and books to England and Australia; like the FANTASY VETERAN’S ASSOCIATION which supplies mags and books to fans in the armed forces during time of national emergency; like the World S-F Con, run by fans to the credit of the entire s-f field. TAFF is one more example of how fans of science-fiction differ from addicts of any other literature you can name. And Taff is no "pie-in-the-sky" chimera – hundreds of dollars of fandom’s cash have been collected and disbursed under its administration. Readers of other types of stories form clubs and occasionally engage in sporadic activity, but we believe that no other segment of the publishing industry can boast of the copious, sustained, concentrated, variegated and straight-to-the-point support as that afforded to the publishers of science-fiction by s-f fans in pursuit of their literary interests.
In 1957, Robert A. Madle was the TAFF delegate. He traveled from his home in Maryland to London, England, expenses paid, where he attended the World Con and visited with many British fans. He is the administrator of the 1958 TAFF, which was won by Ron Bennett of England, who will attend the SOLACON. – The Editors
WHAT IS THE TRANSATLANTIC Fan Fund?" This question has been asked of me several times by s-f readers who has read brief statements concerning it in my department, "Inside Science-Fiction".
Mistakenly I had assumed that most fans (active and fringe) had heard something about TAFF and that the so-called TRU-fen were completely aware of its inner workings. How wrong I was!
Realizing the need for a brief historical presentation of TAFF for general consumption, I have written one for "Inside S-F" which should appear in an upcoming Lowndeszine. The article was written entirely from memory, so if one or two facts concerning TAFF’s beginnings don’t jibe exactly with what you have heard, chalk it up as editorial prerogative (in other words, I wasn’t sure). The following few paragraphs will again delve into the TAFF story – a story which should be of interest to all fandom.
It all started with Forrest J Ackerman. Forry, through his years of active fanning, had developed a large number of overseas correspondents. During WW II, when it appeared that Anglofandom was doomed to extinction, Forry helped keep it alive with numerous contributions of books, magazines, paper, money, even mimeo stencils. And, it is rumored, the British fen wanted to repay Forry by bringing him to England for a visit.
Forry, however, wanted it the other way. He wanted American fandom to bring an English fan to America for a world convention.
Thus was created the "Big Pond Fund", which was one of the projects of the 1947 Philcon.
Several years elapsed before Forry’s dream materialized: Ted Carnell, one of the two most famous English fans (Walter H. Gillings is the other), made it to Cincinnati for the 1949 Con – and the die was cast.
In 1951 Shelby Vick started a campaign to bring Walter A. Willis of Ireland to the New Orleans Con. In 1952, Vick’s campaign bore fruit when Willis made it to the Chicon. Walt had entered fandom in 1949 and had proved to be a prolific writer for the fanzines, and an excellent one to boot. When Walt return ed to Ireland, he wrote up a lengthy re port of his trip, The Harp Stateside. This interesting document appeared in many installments in various fanzines and was only recently published complete in pamphlet form.
With the publication of The Harp Stateside, another fannish tradition was born: it is now expected that the TAFF delegate will write up his trip so general fandom (or at least those who contributed to the fund) will be able to read about it.
Immediately following the 1952 Chi con, Donald E. Ford, an old fakefan who has been around for many years, started a campaign to bring an English friend of his to the 1953 Philcon; However, the friend, Norman Ashfield, informed Don that he wouldn’t be able to attend, and Don wrote to Willis stating that the money collected here in the States would be turned over to any other British fan who might want to make the trip.
Ford’s letter arrived just about the time of the 1953 English Coroncon, and the timing was quite appropriate. Inspired by Ford, Willis, Carnell, Ken Slater and several other Anglofen got together and came up with the organization known as the Transatlantic Fan Fund.
The first election (winner to attend the 1954 San Francisco Con) saw Vin¢ Clarke winning. Vin¢, an extremely popular fan because of his intense activity in all phases of fandom, reluctantly turned down his chance for personal reasons. This enabled a new election to be held – with the winner to cross the Atlantic for the 1955 con.
H. Ken Bulmer, fan and professional writer, was elected. Ken and his charming wife Pamela quit their jobs and were off for America in a tramp steamer.
Success! The first TAFFman had made it to America.
Now it was America’s turn to respond and send someone to the 1956 Cytricon, held annually in Kettering. In a race replete with some pretty peppy campaigning, Lee Hoffman shaded Forry Ackerman. Lee, however, turned down the TAFF trip as she had just married Larry Shaw and they were going to spend their honeymoon in England – and she preferred to go as a bride rather than as the TAFF delegate.
It was too late for Forry to make arrangements, so the fund was held over to the following year, 1957.
In 1957, Forry Ackerman’s nominee, one fakefan named Robert A. Madle was elected to attend the Loncon.
See the following publications for accounts of this journey: Future Science Fiction, February 1958; Scurvy and JD, published by Lynn Hickman; and Stellar, published by Ted E. White.
Not only did I win the trip, and shock a certain segment of fandom to its very foundations, but I picked up all the marbles, for I was also awarded the honor of administering TAFF from this side of the Atlantic. (Now you know why I’m writing this article!)
Which brings TAFF completely up to date, except to report that the winner for 1958 is Ron Bennett of England, who will be eligible to make the trip to the SOLACON in Los Angeles. It will take a lot of fandom’s money to get Ron to LA. and at this writing, an account of money collected is not available.
So – was there enough money in the fund to pay Ron’s boat-fare? Did he make it across the stormy Atlantic? Read next year’s installment and find out!