National Wrestling Alliance Convention

Meeting Location: St. Louis, Missouri (Claridge Hotel)
Meeting Dates: September 3-5, 1954

Officers:

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

Membership Roster:

Leonard Schwartz was ill, and unable to attend. He was replaced on the Television and
Film Committee by Bob Murray. Other members of that committee were Fred Kohler,
Pinkie George, Morris Sigel, and Dory Detton. Since he was also the chairman of that
committee, a new one was selected, although it isn't clear who it was.

Itinerary of Events:

Friday, September 3, 1954 - Special Meeting of all Committees. Chairmen of the NWA
Committees were to contact the members of the location of the meetings, and the time.

Friday, September 3, 1954 - 7:30 p.m. - Official Opening of the National Wrestling
Alliance Convention featuring the presentation of credentials by proxies of non-attending
members, if there were any, the report of the Membership Committee, and a vote by the
NWA on any new membership applications.

Saturday, September 4, 1954 - 10:00 a.m. - Report of the President, Report of the
Treasurer, Report of the Television and Film Committee, Report of the Grievance
Committee, Report of the Rules Committee, Report of the Heavyweight Championship
Committee, Report of the Junior Heavyweight Championship Committee, Report of the
Light Heavyweight Championship Committee, Any old business, Any new business."

Saturday, September 4, 1954 - 1:30 p.m. - Luncheon for all members, and the
membership will go back into meetings at 3:00 until 7:30 p.m. If the meeting is not
concluded, dinner will be had at 7:30, and then the convention will be resumed at 9:00
p.m.

Sunday, September 5, 1954 - 11:00 a.m. - Completion of any unresolved business.

Grievance Committee:

Fred Kohler (chairman)

According to the Southwest Missourian newspaper, Tuesday, September 7, 1954, both
Leonard Thomas and Russel Faust were guests of Sam Muchnick and Martin Thesz at
the convention at the Claridge Hotel. Thomas was a promoter in Cape Girardeau and
Faust was the "Noble Grand of the Odd Fellows Lodge."

In his NWA Bulletin #11 dated July 19, 1955, Muchnick explained to the membership that
he was finishing his fifth term as president of the organization, and that he was "not a
candidate," and he didn't wish to be drafted. He stated that there had been some
changes to the booking of the heavyweight champion, which was "not working out
sastisfactorily." Under the current arrangements, Muchnick stated, "I cannot
conscientiously take the job, work at it and like it."

Between the 1954 convention and August 1955, it was one of the most difficult periods in
NWA history. There were problems between Thesz and Muchnick, problems between
Fred Kohler and Muchnick, and a growing suspicion about the informants helping the
Department of Justice in their investigation into the "monopoly" of the Alliance. Johnny
Doyle was now a thorn in the side of the organization, and there were much discussion
about the dissolution of the NWA almost to the point in which it was expected at the 1955
convention.

Muchnick kept proclaiming the good attributes of the Alliance to fellow members and to
Justice Department officials. He wanted to see it survive. In one letter to George Derr of
the Department of Justice (6/16/55), Muchnick noted that "we have never had a 100%
attendance" at the annual Alliance convention. He added, "but we try to have as many
members there as possible."

In early August 1955, reportedly, Cal Eaton ventured to Washington, D.C. with intentions
of magically ending the Department of Justice's investigation into the NWA. It is not clear
who he met with while in the nation's capital.

Research by Tim Hornbaker
January 19, 2011

National Wrestling Alliance Convention - 1954