Bob Madle (June 2, 1920 \u2013 October 8, 2022)<\/h5>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fancyclopedia.org\/images\/4\/4c\/MadleBob1957.jpeg\")
<\/a>Bob Madle at Loncon, 1957.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRobert Albert Madle<\/b>, who died at age 102 in October 2022, was the last of the First Fans<\/a>. He was Worldcon<\/a> FGoH<\/a> at SunCon<\/a> in 1977, and was nominated for the 1956 Best Feature Writer Hugo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nAn eo-fan<\/a>, Bob started reading sf<\/a> in 1933 and was an active fan by 1935. He attended the First Convention<\/a> in 1936, the first Worldcon<\/a> in 1939, and Boskone I<\/a> in 1941. He was co-founder of PSFS<\/a> and one of the Phillies<\/a>, as well as part of the Philly<\/a> slate which challenged the Wollheimists<\/a> in the FAPA<\/a> election of 1938<\/a> and a member of the committee<\/a> for Philcon<\/a>, the 1947 Worldcon<\/a>.<\/p>\nMadle was TAFF<\/a> winner in 1957 (and published A Fake Fan in London<\/a><\/i> as his trip report<\/a>). He published<\/a> Fantascience Digest<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\nHe founded the Carolina SF Society<\/a> in Charlotte, NC<\/a>, in the early 1950s, was a founder of the First Fandom club<\/a>, a Trustee of WSFA<\/a> in the 1960s, member of the Washington in ’77<\/a> Worldcon bid<\/a>, and for many years was a highly respected huckster<\/a>, a role he continued by mail-order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fancyclopedia.org\/images\/f\/f6\/1939ConeyCar.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDuring the first Worldcon<\/a> in 1939, fans<\/a> took the opportunity to visit Coney Island, where this foto<\/a>-op took place. <\/b>Front, from left:<\/i>Mark Reinsberg<\/a>, Jack Agnew<\/a>, Ross Rocklynne<\/a>.<\/b> Rear:<\/i> Vincent Kidwell<\/a>, Robert Madle, Erle Korshak<\/a>, Ray Bradbury<\/a>, July 4, 1939.<\/b> Courtesy of Robert Madle.<\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\nObituary (Locus)\u00a0Robert A. Madle (1920-2022)<\/a><\/h5>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/locusmag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Bob-Madle-at-First-Fandom-Party-Baycon-Jay-Kay-Klein-UC-Riverside-Libraries-1968-e1665524335931.jpg\")
Robert Madle, 1968, photo by Jay Kay Klein, UC Riverside Libraries<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nFan, collector, and bookseller Robert A. Madle, 102, died peacefully in his sleep on October 8, 2022. Madle was a founder and the first president of First Fandom (and the last survivor of the original membership), and was a warm and familiar presence in the field since the 1930s.<\/p>\n
Robert Albert Madle was born June 2, 1920 in Philadelphia PA. He enlisted in the Army in July 1942, serving three-and-a-half years, working as a truck driver and teletype operator. He met his wife Billie in the latter job, while she was a switchboard operator. He also worked in the Army\u2019s public relations office. He was married during the war, then attended college and went for his MBA. He worked for the government in the Navy Department, doing personnel research, and later became a research psychologist studying human\/machine interfaces. He was also a book collector and dealer, continuing to sell by mail order even in his later years.<\/p>\n
Madle began reading SF as 13-year-old in 1933 with Tom Swift and Edgar Rice Burroughs, then discovered the pulp magazines and became active in fandom soon after. An organizer from the first, he formed the Boys\u2019 Science Fiction Club with a few friends in 1934. He attended the 1936 gathering in Philadelphia that Donald A. Wollheim dubbed \u201cThe first science fiction convention,\u201d was active in the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, and was generally a pillar of Philly fandom. He spread his love for organizing wherever he went, serving as a trustee of Washington Science Fiction Association, and founding the Carolina SF Society in North Carolina in the \u201950s.<\/p>\n
He attended the first Worldcon in 1939 and was the 1957 TAFF winner, writing trip report \u201cA Fake Fan in London\u201d afterward. He was Fan Guest of Honor at SunCon, the 1977 Worldcon and was a frequent guest at other conventions. He helped organize Worldcons and was involved in the creation of the Hugo Awards.<\/p>\n
Madle was active in fanzine circles, where he was best known for Fantascience Digest<\/em> (1937-41). His first fanzine was one issue of The Science Fiction Fan <\/em>(1935) with John V. Baltadonis. They started Imaginative Fiction <\/em>in 1935, continuing it intermittently until 1938. He also worked on Fantasy Fiction Telegram<\/em> and wrote a column, \u201cFantaglimmerings\u201d, for The Science Fiction Collector<\/em>. He was a founder of New Era Publishers with Jack Agnew and Al Pepper, publishing David H. Keller\u2019s Solitary Hunters and the Abyss <\/strong>(1946). He wrote many letters to SF magazines, his first appearing in Pirate Stories <\/em>(July 1935), with others in Astounding Stories<\/em>, Amazing Stories<\/em>, Weird Tales<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\nAn occasional SF writer, his story \u201cDevolution\u201d appeared in his own Imaginative Fiction <\/em>(1936). Other stories include \u201cBrain, the Creator\u201d (1936, with Corwin F. Stickney), \u201cBlack Adventure\u201d (1937), and \u201cThe Infinite Vision\u201d (2006).<\/p>\nMadle won the Big Heart Award in 1974, the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award in 1990, and the Moskowitz Archive Award in 2002. He was a nominee for the Best Feature Writer Hugo Award in 1956. His Fantascience Digest<\/em> was a Retro Hugo Award finalist in 2014. He is survived by his daughter Jane.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bob Madle, the last surviving attendee of the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, died on October 8, aged 102. Biography (Fancyclopedia 3) Bob Madle (June 2, 1920 \u2013 October 8, 2022) Robert Albert Madle, who died at age 102 in October 2022, was the last of the First Fans. He was Worldcon FGoH … Continue reading RIP Bob Madle<\/span>
<\/a>Robert Albert Madle<\/b>, who died at age 102 in October 2022, was the last of the First Fans<\/a>. He was Worldcon<\/a> FGoH<\/a> at SunCon<\/a> in 1977, and was nominated for the 1956 Best Feature Writer Hugo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n An eo-fan<\/a>, Bob started reading sf<\/a> in 1933 and was an active fan by 1935. He attended the First Convention<\/a> in 1936, the first Worldcon<\/a> in 1939, and Boskone I<\/a> in 1941. He was co-founder of PSFS<\/a> and one of the Phillies<\/a>, as well as part of the Philly<\/a> slate which challenged the Wollheimists<\/a> in the FAPA<\/a> election of 1938<\/a> and a member of the committee<\/a> for Philcon<\/a>, the 1947 Worldcon<\/a>.<\/p>\n Madle was TAFF<\/a> winner in 1957 (and published A Fake Fan in London<\/a><\/i> as his trip report<\/a>). He published<\/a> Fantascience Digest<\/a><\/i>.<\/p>\n He founded the Carolina SF Society<\/a> in Charlotte, NC<\/a>, in the early 1950s, was a founder of the First Fandom club<\/a>, a Trustee of WSFA<\/a> in the 1960s, member of the Washington in ’77<\/a> Worldcon bid<\/a>, and for many years was a highly respected huckster<\/a>, a role he continued by mail-order.<\/p>\n Fan, collector, and bookseller Robert A. Madle, 102, died peacefully in his sleep on October 8, 2022. Madle was a founder and the first president of First Fandom (and the last survivor of the original membership), and was a warm and familiar presence in the field since the 1930s.<\/p>\n Robert Albert Madle was born June 2, 1920 in Philadelphia PA. He enlisted in the Army in July 1942, serving three-and-a-half years, working as a truck driver and teletype operator. He met his wife Billie in the latter job, while she was a switchboard operator. He also worked in the Army\u2019s public relations office. He was married during the war, then attended college and went for his MBA. He worked for the government in the Navy Department, doing personnel research, and later became a research psychologist studying human\/machine interfaces. He was also a book collector and dealer, continuing to sell by mail order even in his later years.<\/p>\n Madle began reading SF as 13-year-old in 1933 with Tom Swift and Edgar Rice Burroughs, then discovered the pulp magazines and became active in fandom soon after. An organizer from the first, he formed the Boys\u2019 Science Fiction Club with a few friends in 1934. He attended the 1936 gathering in Philadelphia that Donald A. Wollheim dubbed \u201cThe first science fiction convention,\u201d was active in the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society, and was generally a pillar of Philly fandom. He spread his love for organizing wherever he went, serving as a trustee of Washington Science Fiction Association, and founding the Carolina SF Society in North Carolina in the \u201950s.<\/p>\n He attended the first Worldcon in 1939 and was the 1957 TAFF winner, writing trip report \u201cA Fake Fan in London\u201d afterward. He was Fan Guest of Honor at SunCon, the 1977 Worldcon and was a frequent guest at other conventions. He helped organize Worldcons and was involved in the creation of the Hugo Awards.<\/p>\n Madle was active in fanzine circles, where he was best known for Fantascience Digest<\/em> (1937-41). His first fanzine was one issue of The Science Fiction Fan <\/em>(1935) with John V. Baltadonis. They started Imaginative Fiction <\/em>in 1935, continuing it intermittently until 1938. He also worked on Fantasy Fiction Telegram<\/em> and wrote a column, \u201cFantaglimmerings\u201d, for The Science Fiction Collector<\/em>. He was a founder of New Era Publishers with Jack Agnew and Al Pepper, publishing David H. Keller\u2019s Solitary Hunters and the Abyss <\/strong>(1946). He wrote many letters to SF magazines, his first appearing in Pirate Stories <\/em>(July 1935), with others in Astounding Stories<\/em>, Amazing Stories<\/em>, Weird Tales<\/em>, and more.<\/p>\n An occasional SF writer, his story \u201cDevolution\u201d appeared in his own Imaginative Fiction <\/em>(1936). Other stories include \u201cBrain, the Creator\u201d (1936, with Corwin F. Stickney), \u201cBlack Adventure\u201d (1937), and \u201cThe Infinite Vision\u201d (2006).<\/p>\n Madle won the Big Heart Award in 1974, the First Fandom Hall of Fame Award in 1990, and the Moskowitz Archive Award in 2002. He was a nominee for the Best Feature Writer Hugo Award in 1956. His Fantascience Digest<\/em> was a Retro Hugo Award finalist in 2014. He is survived by his daughter Jane.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bob Madle, the last surviving attendee of the first World Science Fiction Convention in 1939, died on October 8, aged 102. Biography (Fancyclopedia 3) Bob Madle (June 2, 1920 \u2013 October 8, 2022) Robert Albert Madle, who died at age 102 in October 2022, was the last of the First Fans. He was Worldcon FGoH … Continue reading RIP Bob Madle<\/span> <\/a><\/p>\n\nObituary (Locus)\u00a0Robert A. Madle (1920-2022)<\/a><\/h5>\n