Meeting Location:  Chicago, Illinois
Meeting Dates:

Officers:

President:
1st Vice President:
2nd Vice President
Treasurer:
Secretary:

Membership Roster:






The membership committee met on the afternoon of September 4, 1953, headed by
chairman Dave Reyonlds and joined by members Tex Hager, Sam Menacker, Johnny
Doyle and Eddie Quinn sat in as an alternate for Frank Tunney, who hadn't yet arrived to
the conference.  The committee discussed letters of interest in joining the NWA received
from Raul Romero of Mexico City, Raul Roberge of Verdun, Quebec, and Ralph Jackson
of Nashville, Tennessee.  Previously, NWA President Sam Muchnick sent applications to
the three individuals requesting membership, and none of the three replied.  Thus, the
membership committee denied their entry.

One formal application and a check for $100 (annual dues) was received from Los
Angeles, as Cal Eaton wanted to join the Alliance.  There was also a $250 induction fee,
which hadn't been sent.  The membership committee decided that there were already two
NWA members in Southern California (Doyle and Hugh Nichols), and a third wasn't
needed.  Eaton's application was rejected.  According to the meeting's report, "it was also
recommended that Doyle and Nichols must furnish Eaton with the best available talent."

Only members were allowed to attend the executive sessions of the NWA convention in
Chicago, and Muchnick admited that it "caused some hard feelings." Apparently some
partners were angry that they couldn't sit in.  Muchnick stated that the reasoning for
allowing only members during these portions of the convention had been established
because of certain situations at previous meetings.  Muchnick expressed his belief that
only members should sit in during these sessions in an NWA bulletin dated June 1, 1954,
but planned on sending out a ballot to decide the rules for the 1954 convention.

In a letter to Stanley Disney of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division (7/3/55),
Muchnick wrote that:  "During one of the meetings, I don't recall which one, although it
could have been in Chicago, in 1953, some of the members mentioned the fact that a
number of wrestlers were wrestling for some promoters not in the Alliance or that some
wrestlers were changing territories without giving sufficient notices to the offices they were
working in.  I recall someone, I think it was Doc Sarpolis, who at the same was associated
with Morris Sigel in the Houston office, asking for a recess.  They then got into groups
and starting (sic) talking about this.  Someone, I feel it was Doyle, then said: 'Why not
send out the names of the wrestlers who are doing this on red cards, so that the
members will be guided accordingly.' We all laughed about his, but nothing ever
materialized.  I did tell them that if any wrestlers ran out on dates already booked that the
promoters had recourse by going to the various State Athletic Commissions."

Muchnick said he never sent out any red cards or received any from other members.









Muchnick, who always displayed his organization and attention to detail in his work, took
offense to the way in which the meeting minutes from the Chicago convention were
prepared, and told Fred Kohler about it.  Instead of taking it personal, Kohler accepted
the criticism and prepared a more detailed explanation of the important meetings, "hoping
it now makes sense," in his letter back to Muchnick on September 19, 1953.

After the 1953 Chicago convention, it was generally believed that all NWA members were
in complete harmony.  The peace wasn't kept for long.


Heavyweight Championship Committee:


Junior Heavyweight Championship Committee:

Sam Avey (chairman)
Hugh Nichols
Harry Light
Dory Detton
Roy Welch
Mike London
Joe Gunther

Membership Committee:



Grievance Committee:



Television Committee:

Morris Sigel (chairman)*
Leonard Schwartz (chairman as of 5/25/54)


*Sigel resigned as chairman of the television committee for health reasons on May 25,
1954.  Sam Muchnick appointed Leonard Schwartz as the new Television Committee
Chairman, and announced that Sigel would remain as a member of the committee.


Rules Committee:




Read more about the Verne Gagne-U.S. Title Situation here.

As a result of the controversy surrounding the United States Title, the rift between
Muchnick and Kohler opened up.  On October 1, 1953, Muchnick wrote to Kohler,
saying:  "It seems that when you do something that many of the members think is wrong,
you always find some justification for it.  For instance, when you sent en to Mike London
against San Menacker in El Paso, which was contrary to all our Alliance rules, you
justified yourself.  That is wrong."

Apparently a bulletin and a membership vote was sent out to NWA members a short time
before the October 1 missive, although its not quite clear what it regarded.  Muchnick told
Kohler, "If I get a vote of confidence, I will stay on as president, and do my job to the best
of my ability." He also noted that "our By-Laws do not specify who will succeed the
president in the event of his death, or resignation, otherwise it would not have been
necessary to ask for a selection." Maybe it was a vote to affirm his presidency, which had
been recently voted upon at the 1953 convention in Chicago.

At the end of the letter, Muchnick wrote:  "P.S.  Counsel is spelled C O U N S E L, not
council."










In a bulletin to the NWA membership dated June 1, 1954, Muchnick complained that
"some chairmen" of the various Alliance committees had "done nothing."

As of June 17, 1954, "Baron" Michele Leone still hadn't signed an NWA contract, which
was required since he was the NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion.






Research by Tim Hornbaker
December 18, 2010
National Wrestling Alliance Convention - 1953