History

HISTORY OF THE GREATER AKRON AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Akron Aquarium Society

First meeting: September 7, 1934 held at M. O’Neils store

Officers:

President – Dr. H. E. Blass

Vice President – J. D. Hartley

Secretary – Harry Paul

Treasurer – T. F. Curley

Show Chairman – W. A. Belt

Held 11 annual shows. H. H. Paul was the last President and W. J. Church was the last Secretary.
Last show held October 6, 1949. Society ceased to exist after the show.

Greater Akron Aquarium Society

Founders: Mr. Fred Stryker, Mr. E. J. Van Boven

First Meeting: August 17, 1952 held at Ellet Branch of Akron Public Library

Officers:

President – Fred Stryker

Vice President – Emery J. Van Boven

Secretary – Roy Whaley

Treasurer – William Brown

Tank Topics Trivia

First issue printed by Tom Huth, who’s still an active Life Member, in September 1972.

Previously, a one-page newsletter was started in April 1972.
Prior to that, only a postcard Meeting Reminder was mailed out monthly.

Mike Neelon won the contest to name the new newsletter. It was a name previously
used by The Cleveland Aquarium Society before they changed their newsletter’s name
to The Wet Thumb. Mike was, and still is, an active member of both clubs.

The first locally written article was the column, Hows and Whys of Saltwater by Mike Neelon,
printed in April 1973 – in other words, it took a whole year for the Editor to get an article back then!

(The North American Goldfish Championship has been part of the GAAS shows since 1981)