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 through 1997. By many counts, it was the third-oldest science fiction convention.
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, the convention attracted increasing numbers of non-members.
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. The 1998 Disclave, scheduled for a different hotel on a different weekend, was canceled six weeks before the convention by the hotel. The 1997 convention was the last Disclave.
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 GuestsChairAttendance1950 4 30Wardman ParkDCWilly LeyBob Briggs751951 4 29StatlerDCSam MoskowitzBob Briggs231952 None 1953 3 22StatlerDC"Proxyclave"Bob Briggs221954 None 1955 None 1956 None 1957 None 1958 5 10-11Arva MotelVANoneBob Pavlat651959 5 16-17Diplomat MotelDCNoneBob Pavlat651960 5 21-22Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers1961 5 13-14Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers401962 5 12-13Diplomat MotelDCNoneGeorge H. Scithers321963 None 1964 None 1965 5 8-9Howard Johnson's WheatonMDChris and Sam MoskowitzBanks Mebane831966 5 13-15Diplomat MotelDCRoger ZelaznyJay Haldeman991967 5 12-14Regency CongressDCJack GaughanJay Haldeman1968 5 10-12Regency CongressDCRobert SilverbergJay Haldeman1969 5 09-11Skyline InnDCLester del ReyJay Haldeman1970 5 15-17Skyline InnDCMurray LeinsterJay Haldeman1971 5 28-31Shoreham HotelDCTerry CarrJay Haldeman1972 5 26-29Sheraton ParkDCBen BovaJay Haldeman1973 5 25-28Sheraton ParkDCGardner DozoisJay Haldeman1974 5 24-27Sheraton ParkDCKelly FreasAlexis Gilliland2841975 5 23-26Sheraton ParkDCGordon DicksonAlexis Gilliland3601976 5 28-31Sheraton ParkDCWilliam TennAlexis Gilliland6751977 5 27-30Sheraton ParkDCJoe HaldemanAlexis Gilliland8501978 5 26-29Sheraton ParkDCBob (Wilson) TuckerAlexis Gilliland10051979 5 25-28Sheraton ParkDCRoger Zelazny/Michael WhelanAlan Huff14851980 5 23-26Hospitality HouseVAJeanne and Spider RobinsonTom Schaad1981 5 22-25Sheraton NationalVAIsaac AsimovAlexis Gilliland14001982 5 28-31Sheraton NationalVAElizabeth Lynn/Tom MillerJack Chalker/Eva Whitley1983 5 27-30Marriott TwinBrVAGeorge R. R. Martin/Jack GaughanAlan Huff11001984 5 25-28New CarrolltonMDConnie Willis/Paul YurekJane Wagner9001985 5 24-27New CarrolltonMDEd Bryant/Bob WaltersMichael J. Walsh1986 5 23-26New CarrolltonMDWilliam Gibson/Steve StilesJack Heneghan1987 5 22-25New CarrolltonMDGene Wolfe/Barclay ShawJoe Mayhew13501988 5 27-30New CarrolltonMDBarbara Hambly/Jim BurnsTom Schaad13501989 5 26-29New CarrolltonMDLucius Shepard/J.K.PotterMichael J. Walsh1990 5 25-28New CarrolltonMDMike Resnick/Dawn Wilson/Somtow Sucharitkul/Marty GearEva Whitley13001991 5 24-27New CarrolltonMDLewis Shiner/Alicia AustinPeggy Rae Pavlat12001992 5 22-25Washington HiltonDCPat Cadigan/Thomas KiddMichael J. Walsh/Covert Beach1993 5 28-31Dulles MarriottVAKatherine Kurtz/Patricia DavisCovert Beach8351994 5 27-30Sheraton Tysons CornerVALois M. Bujold/Steven Johnson/Darlene P. ColtraneJohn Peacock/Paula Lewis1995 5 26-29TechworldDCCharles Sheffield/Bob Eggleton/David BischoffDan Hoey1996 5 24-27Capitol Hill HyattDCMichael Swanwick/Hannah ShaperoBob MacIntosh6231997 5 23-26New CarrolltonMDPatricia Anthony/Lissanne Lake/Peggy Rae PavlatMichael Nelson8501998 NoneTerry Bisson/Gene Wolfe/Nicholas JainschiggJoe Mayhew01999 NoneSam Pierce02000 NoneCovert Beach0
References
External links Disclave website