Finally Convinced

Open Letter
Title:	Finally Convinced
From:	Frances Alberti Sykora
Addressed To:	Science fiction fandom
Date(s):	published January 1940
Medium:	Print
Fandom:	Science Fiction
Topic:	The Great Exclusion Act, Donald A. Wollheim, Futurians, disruptions at the Philly Conference
External Links:	On page 33 of New Fandom issue 6
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Finally Convinced was a letter published by Frances Alberti in New Fandom issue 6. It gave her account of the disruption of the Philadelphia Conference by members of the New York Futurian Society, and addressed The Great Exclusion Act at Worldcon 1939. Alberti would later marry Will Sykora, one of the "Triumvirs" who barred six Futurians from entry.

Text

I am a member of the Queens Science Fiction League Ladies Auxiliary and have read many fan mags put out by the boys such as Fantasy News, New Fandom, Ad Astra, Fantasy Digest, Spaceways, Scienti-snaps, A History Of Fandom as Jack Speer Sees It, which I get from Will Sykora. I've also read several of the professional mags and reviewed astory at the QSFL meeting. For a long time I've heard tell many stories about the Futurians, but never could make myself believe them. I always said, "There could not be such a person in the world as Wollheim, that everyone has him wrong." Why even on the train going to the Philadelphia Conference I said it again, but I must say I am sorry and disappointed to have to say, "Seeing is believing". Now I know that every story I heard told was TRUE.

You all heard that at the WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION some of the Futurians were being kept out. There the question arose - Why? I will answer that question, and I am sure that any fan that attended the Philadelphia Conferecne can too. The Futurians did nothing but heckle and make fun of everyone and everything that was said at the Conference. No one there I am sure will deny that except they, themselves. That in itself was their only reason for wanting to attend the WORLD SCIENCE FICTION CONVENTION. They wanted nothing more but to get in and heckle and heckle the whole day long, as they did in letters and fan mags before the Convention. There is no doubt about that after seeing their actions at the Conference. So don't you worry, the New F andom Boys knew what they were doing.

Then when the question of a constitution came up [at the Philadelphia Convention], their mouths began to water, and they thought their fun would begin. They were afraid to hear it or even let the other fans hear it. But finally the fans won on a vote, and it was read by Will Sykora. Wollheim asked for the floor, and when he got it, he turned it over to Leslie Perri. In this he showed his true character because although he was brave to be interrupting the fans from his seat he had to let a girl speak for him.. Miss Perri said they were bored because the constitution was too tremendous for such a fan club like New Fandom. They must have thought it was too big an idea for them to tear apart. It was approved by a vote of 21 to 13. I am really sorry to feel th[illegible]ss friends after all they did.

Letter in New Fandom issue 6 page 33 (January 1940)