[Posted on L&P from Aug 30 to Sept 2, 2008.]
Here’s a list of all the PFC Lifetime Members roughly in chronological order, or the order of their becoming lifers. The numbers are not official membership numbers, just an organizational aid. Now, here’s a teaser. How many of the names in this list do you recognize?
1. Gilbert Nestel
2. Dr. Martin Abbrecht
3. Rose Ann Munoz
4. Raymond Sharpless
5. Glen B. Bowen
6. Dr. David H. Ahrenholz
7. John Craver, Seattle Pen Shop
8. Leon F. Dillenburg
9. Jerry L. Queary
10. Steve Cohen
11. Mrs. E. Loucopoulos = 141
12. Dr. Thomas MacDonald
13. Robert McAtee
14. Mary E. Strachan
15. Masamichi Sunami
16. Steve Wichert
17. Marvin Hardison
18. Richard E. Wehrli
19. Ed Goldfield
20. Prescott S. Smith
21. Kazou Tanji
22. Dr. David Biddle
23. Ian Belcher
24. Dr. Donald F. Bradley
25. Frank Proto
26. Dr. Burton H. Cohen
27. Curt McQueen
28. E. D. Powell
29. Heidi Nitze
30. Edith R. Peroff
31. Michael Silber
32. Hiroji Fukuda
33. Kay I. Kawahara
34. L. Michael Fultz
35. Cliff Lawrence
36. Judy A. Lawrence
37. Roy Nakano
38. J. R. Chen
39. Murray S. Hoffman
40. John G. Woodland
41. Lloyd S. Kozbelt
42. Dr. Gerald Zwiren
43. Hugh P. Hetherington
44. Dr. W. Thomas Rueff
45. Daniel Zazove
46. Dr. Stanley M. Hanfling
47. Richard E. Williams
48. Marc Ames
49. Constance Lovice Brown
50. Romain Brunett
51. Jane Crane
52. Cindy Lawrence
53. Susan L. Lawrence
54. Gerald L. Lucas
55. Julius Mortvedt
56. Dr. Leon Neiman
57. Daniel H. Pierce
58. Harvey L. Pollock
59. Dr. Dykes Cordell
60. Donald T. McSparran
61. Dixie Lea Smith
62. Rev. Barry Van Hoogen
63. Dr. Charles E. Wade
64. Roger B. Wilkenfeld
65. Mirza Alsharif
66. Charles V. Ricks
67. Rabbi A. A. Levene
68. Dr. Thomas S. Schultz
69. Joseph P. Vogt
70. Edward Fingerman
71. Thomas J. Revson
72. Borsa Alessandro
73. Richard G. Wood
74. Armando Dabbene
75. James J. Melton
76. Bruce A. Nichol
77. Patricia Lee Ross
78. Dr. Melvin Morrison
79. Judson H. Bell
80. Gerald Michaels
81. Chet Nichols
82. Rodney Hearne
83. Marilynn M. Olson
84. Robert A. Dospil
85. Ronald J. Geraci
86. James Bud Holcomb
87. Tan Poh Kok
88. Lina Ercolessi
89. Sharon L. Rice
90. Andy Lambrou
91. Dr. Robert L. Craig
92. Said M. Marouf
93. Antonella Mazza
94. Dr. Warren G. Smirl
95. Steven A. Mandell
96. Arthur Metzger
97. Curtis “J” Votaw
98. George P. Schiavelli
99. Emilio De Marchi-Gherini
100. Jack DeBartolo, Jr.
101. L. A. Carrier
102. James L. Livermore
103. Frank J. Lord
104. Dr. Ron Pruitt
105. Francisco Messequer
106. Arthur Twydle
107. Walt Boice
108. Dr. Ricardo Grillo
109. Robert Kazanjian
110. Y. K. Chan
111. Pendulam
112. Edmond Del Pilar Soto
113. Robert L. Cranston
114. Gianni Fantacci
115. Toshihisa Okamoto
116. P. C. Breunle
117. Luigi Negri
118. Dr. Alan M. Fogelman
119. Paolo Casella
120. Nello Moscatelli
121. Manuel Oliveira Simoes
122. Dr. Bernard H. Boal
123. Dr. Jacob S. Loke
124. Paola Maggi
125. Dr. James R. McCarty
126. Matthew L. Albers
127. Dr. Robert L. Berry
128. John DiBlasi
129. Urbano Proli
130. Arnold Schindel
131. Dr. Larry Cohen
132. Philip S. Slaugh
133. Ira Snider
134. Christophe Sabatier
135. Dr. Guiseppe Jacopini
136. Julius E. Bliach
137. Delfino C. Ferreira
138. George C. Chandler
139. Chuck Gardner
140. Peter Gold
141. Mrs. Ky = 11
142. Wilfred E. Beckwith
143. Takew Hirata
144. Robert Friggens
145. John C. Greaves
146. Monique Tattegrain
147. Wes Burgess
David Nishimura wrote, “Ordinary PFC members, who, by the time I joined, were really just “subscribers”, never had their names listed. Only Lifetime members were so named—Lifetime members being those who, instead of paying dues annually, had paid a single, large, sum that made them members for life, which for most turned out to be the life of the PFC, rather than their own”.
Rob Astyk wrote, “Not only were PFC Lifetime memberships granted in return for a large payment, $250, if I recall correctly, but Cliff could grant and withdraw that distinction at will, usually for some contribution to the PFC other than in cash. I know that he offered me such a membership in the halcyon days before I earned his disapproval by defending Stuart Schneider’s Fountain Pen Exchange”.
And I wrote, “You had to pay extra for the privilege of becoming “eternal”. All the “oldies” know that the regular subscription for a year’s worth of PFC Magazines was about $20-25 a year, but lifetime membership was a flat fee of $100 in the early 1980s, and went up in increments until it reached a high of $300 in the 1990s”.
Claes Lindblad wrote, “Only Lifetime members were so named? May I kindly direct you to page 1 of the Pen Fancier’s Newsletter, April 1978”.
Then I wrote, “Claes showed me his page, which confirms that my copy is a later expurgated copy made by Cliff when he ran out of the original copies. And yes, Cliff removed all the contact information. What Claes refers to is a short list of ten names, not of lifetime members, but of PFC local chapter vice-presidents that were appointed by Cliff, which is as close as you can get to being a lifetime member without actually being one. Some of these V-Ps later also became Lifetimers.
“The idea for lifetime membership was born in the March 1980 issue when Gilbert Nestel became Lifetime Member #1 when he wrote the following letter to Cliff. “Sorry for the delay in renewing my membership. Enclosed is a check for $100.00 as payment for lifetime membership. I hope others follow my example so that you can continue your fine efforts. I am confident that the fountain pen will once again become the standard writing instrument. If it does, then you will be in no small part responsible for its reemergence.” Some other LMs were designated in the first short lists of LMs that appeared in the April and May 1980 issues, just the first four or five names, and listed in order by their LM number. The list grows to 8 in June. The next list doesn’t appear until November 1980, and by then the numerical listing disappears, and the names are listed alphabetically.
“There was also another short-lived development in the February 1981 issue. That’s when Cliff elevated 5 members to his “P.F.C. Honor Roll”. These were members who “generously contributed excellent original ads, catalogs, articles, or good quality reproducible photo copies for publication in this newsletter”. There were five names in that list, including some duplicates form the LM list. He also stated that he would list further members in this department in each issue, but I could find no further additions to the list in subsequent issues. This list appears along with the above cheesy illustration of the Honor Roll medal cobbled together out of the chopped-up, leftover pieces of line cuts and ads for pens. I wants me one of them medals, sparkles and all”.
George Kovalenko.
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