Who 1

Convention
Name:	Who 1
Dates:	March 1-3, 1980
Frequency:
Location:	Los Angeles at on the top floor of the Sunset Hyatt Hotel
Type:
Focus:	Doctor Who
Organization:	Sirius Productions
Founder:	Lucy Chase Williams
Founding Date:
URL:
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Who 1 was a Doctor Who convention held in early March 1980.

front cover of the program book

It was the second Doctor Who con in the United States, and the second con chaired by Lucy Chase Williams. The first con was The Doctor Who Convention.

There were over 1000 attendees.

Guests were Elizabeth Sladen, Ian Marter, Terrance Dicks, and Pat Dunlop.

From the Program Book

SIRIUS PRODUCTIONS is proud to be able to bring you this event: WHO 1: The Doctor Who Convention.

The major stepping stone which led us all to these two days in March was the December tribute sponsored by The Gallifreyan Irregulars, THE DOCTOR WHO CONVENTION. We'd like to take an opportunity we didn't have then to say thank you to everyone who made that first, fledgling event such a success: to those who flew in from London (both expected and unexpected); our LA - based guests; the staff of the GI's; and, most importantly, those 800 people who attended -- and the 200 who had to be turned away. (We hope you got in this time!)

Our thanks now go to Ian and Lis, whose enthusiasm and interest equal our own; to our new Los Angeles guests; to a slightly revised and much wiser staff; and once again, to everyone who cares enough about the series, and about what our organization is trying to do to share our enjoyment of it all, to appear here today. In a sense, the audience are the real guests. We're so pleased you were able to come.

The future is wide open . Only time will tell what lies ahead -- we feel confident that neither rain, nor sleet, nor gloom of night, will keep DOCTOR WHO from becoming the giant it so easily could. And we feel that that leaves Sirius Productions with only one recourse --

WHO 2 !

Stay in touch. We hope to see you soon. - Lucy Chase Williams

The Program Book

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Media Attention

"Dr. who? Dr. Who - that's who!", article in the Lost Angeles Herald Examiner, by Sam Frank, March 9, 1980

"The idea," says Williams, "was to do something again to open up, to make it a larger event, to try to get some nationwide publicity on it, and bring people from out of state. We didn't want "Doctor Who" fans in America to think that Los Angeles had some sort of lock on "Doctor Who."

To ensure greater attendance, Williams and her publicity director, Anne Moore, contacted "Doctor Who clubs from across the country, including those in Detroit, Miami, and Oklahoma City. The response was overwhelming, convincing Williams that "Doctor Who> is a growing, healthy phenomenon.

[...]

This time fans were treated to more "Doctor Who" memorabilia including a full-size replica of TARDIS built by a man named Jim Stewart and a costume contest. An auction of "Doctor Who" goods netted over $500 for the pediatric ward at Cedar Sinai Hospital. Fans loyally sat through more continuous screenings of episodes.

[...]

Hundreds of fans, many costumed as series regulars, packed the auditorium to adore their heroes and ask a multitude of questions about the show.