AAPA's 50th Anniversary

In the 1930s, young members of the United Amateur Press Association of America had fresh ideas on how to improve the group, but the old guard did not want to give up any power and instead forced them out. Feeling no love for the rival NAPA, these “Crusaders” formed a new group, “independent of all similar clubs and their nefarious practices.” They named it the American Amateur Press Association and mailed their first bundle in September 1936.

In July, The Fossils, "the Historians of Amateur Journalism," put on their website a scan from the July 1961 issue of The Fossil. Included is a monumental history of AAPA’s first 25 years, “The Stronghold of Youth,” in which Lee Hawes describes nefarious practices, strong personalities, and unexpected challenges. You can find that article at thefossils.org/TheStrongholdOfYouth.pdf.

This month they print the reminiscence of Dave Tribby, AAPA president in 1986, about how AAPA celebrated its 50th anniversary. That article is at thefossils.org/fossil/fos409.pdf.