Disclave

Disclave was a science fiction convention run by the Washington Science Fiction Association (WSFA) in or near Washington, D.C., in the spring of nearly every year from 1950[1] through 1997. By many counts, it was the third-oldest science fiction convention.

Disclave
StatusDefunct
GenreScience fiction
Location(s)Washington, D.C., area
Inaugurated1950
Most recent1997
Organized byWashington Science Fiction Association

At first it was intermittent and small, with an attendance as low as 22 people (in 1953). From 1965 on, it happened every year. From 1971 on, it lasted the three days of Memorial Day weekend. For a notable section of the SF community, that weekend was considered Disclave's; even after the final session, several years passed before a similar mid-Atlantic group (Balticon) began meeting on Memorial Day.

The highest attendance was 1485 (in 1979), 85 more members than in 1981 when Isaac Asimov was the Guest of Honor. Some other Guests of Honor have been Lois McMaster Bujold, Gene Wolfe, George R. R. Martin, Connie Willis and William Gibson. Notable chairs were Jay Haldeman, Alexis A. Gilliland and Jack Chalker.

In the early 1990s, more and more non-members of Disclave came to the hotel in conjunction with the convention.

In 1997, a fire sprinkler was broken, flooding much of the hotel. Although an investigation determined that neither Disclave nor WSFA were responsible, "the Disclave flood" was forever associated with the convention.[2] The 1998 Disclave, scheduled for a different hotel on a different weekend, was canceled six weeks before the convention by the hotel. 1997 was the last Disclave.[3]

After Disclave, WSFA planned the structure and focus of their next convention. The first Capclave was held in 2001.

List of Disclaves
Year-Mo-DaysSiteStateFeatured GuestsChairAttendance
1950 4 30Wardman ParkDCWilly LeyBob Briggs75
1951 4 29StatlerDCSam MoskowitzBob Briggs23
1952 None
1953 3 22StatlerDC"Proxyclave"Bob Briggs22
1954 None
1955 None
1956 None
1957 None
1958 5 10-11Arva MotelVANoneBob Pavlat65
1959 5 16-17Diplomat MotelDCNoneBob Pavlat65
1960 5 21-22Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers
1961 5 13-14Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers40
1962 5 12-13Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers32
1963 None
1964 None
1965 5 8-9Howard Johnson's WheatonMDChris and Sam Moskowitz Banks Mebane83
1966 5 13-15Diplomat MotelDCRoger ZelaznyJay Haldeman99
1967 5 12-14Regency CongressDCJack GaughanJay Haldeman
1968 5 10-12Regency CongressDCRobert SilverbergJay Haldeman
1969 5 09-11Skyline InnDCLester del ReyJay Haldeman
1970 5 15-17Skyline InnDCMurray LeinsterJay Haldeman
1971 5 28-31Shoreham HotelDCTerry CarrJay Haldeman
1972 5 26-29Sheraton ParkDCBen BovaJay Haldeman
1973 5 25-28Sheraton ParkDCGardner DozoisJay Haldeman
1974 5 24-27Sheraton ParkDCKelly Freas Alexis Gilliland284
1975 5 23-26Sheraton ParkDCGordon Dickson Alexis Gilliland360
1976 5 28-31Sheraton ParkDCWilliam Tenn Alexis Gilliland675
1977 5 27-30Sheraton ParkDCJoe Haldeman Alexis Gilliland850
1978 5 26-29Sheraton ParkDCBob (Wilson) Tucker Alexis Gilliland1005
1979 5 25-28Sheraton ParkDCRoger Zelazny/Michael Whelan Alan Huff1485
1980 5 23-26Hospitality HouseVAJeanne and Spider Robinson Tom Schaad
1981 5 22-25Sheraton NationalVAIsaac Asimov Alexis Gilliland1400
1982 5 28-31Sheraton NationalVAElizabeth Lynn/Tom Miller Jack Chalker/Eva Whitley
1983 5 27-30Marriott TwinBrVA George R. R. Martin/Jack GaughanAlan Huff1100
1984 5 25-28New CarrolltonMDConnie Willis/Paul Yurek Jane Wagner900
1985 5 24-27New CarrolltonMDEd Bryant/Bob WaltersMichael J. Walsh
1986 5 23-26New CarrolltonMD William Gibson/Steve Stiles Jack Heneghan
1987 5 22-25New CarrolltonMDGene Wolfe/Barclay Shaw Joe Mayhew1350
1988 5 27-30New CarrolltonMDBarbara Hambly/Jim Burns Tom Schaad1350
1989 5 26-29New CarrolltonMDLucius Shepard/J.K.Potter Michael J. Walsh
1990 5 25-28New CarrolltonMD Mike Resnick/Dawn Wilson/Somtow Sucharitkul/Marty GearEva Whitley1300
1991 5 24-27New CarrolltonMDLewis Shiner/Alicia Austin Peggy Rae Pavlat1200
1992 5 22-25Washington HiltonDC Pat Cadigan/Thomas Kidd Michael J. Walsh/Covert Beach
1993 5 28-31Dulles MarriottVA Katherine Kurtz/Patricia DavisCovert Beach835
1994 5 27-30Sheraton Tysons CornerVA Lois M. Bujold/Steven Johnson/Darlene P. Coltrane John Peacock/Paula Lewis
1995 5 26-29TechworldDC Charles Sheffield/Bob Eggleton/David BischoffDan Hoey
1996 5 24-27Capitol Hill HyattDCMichael Swanwick/Hannah Shapero Bob MacIntosh623
1997 5 23-26New CarrolltonMD Patricia Anthony/Lissanne Lake/Peggy Rae PavlatMichael Nelson850
1998 NoneTerry Bisson/Gene Wolfe/Nicholas Jainschigg Joe Mayhew0
1999 NoneSam Pierce0
2000 NoneCovert Beach0
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References
  1. Warner, Harry (1992). A Wealth of Fable: The History of Science Fiction Fandom in the 1950s (2nd ed.). Van Nuys, Calif.: SCIFI Press. pp. 13–315. ISBN 0-9633099-0-0. OCLC 30380163.
  2. Nelson, Michael (June 1997). "The Disclave Horror". The WSFA Journal. ISSN 0894-5411. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  3. "Disclave Flood". Fancyclopedia 3. February 17, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
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