Wallace Lee-Dick Snavely Ring 199
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INTRODUCTION
To know where you are going, you must first know where you have been.  Ring 199 has a rich history, and a bright future.  We have, and have had as our members, many people of mote in the magic community...authors, performers, scholars and past and current presidents of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.  It is our hope that you will explore these pages and discover a little bit about who we are and where we came from.  Enjoy!

A BRIEF HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Ring 199 of the International Brotherhood of Magicians received its official charter on May 1, 1970, thanks in large part to the efforts of William Spooner.  The Ring had its roots in the Capital City Magic Club, established in 1960.  This was a very active group of magicians from the Raleigh, North Carolina area.   They decided to make things official and applied for a permanent charter from the International Brotherhood of Magicians.  The Ring was originally named for Wallace Lee, a famous "Tar Heel" magician who died on May 13, 1969.  Although the permanent charter wasn't effective unitl almost a year to the day after his death, Wallace knew of the unanimous agreement to name the ring after him, and it pleased him greatly.

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Bill Spooner accepts Ring Charter from Horace Bennett.

Here is a listing or our founding members:  Steve Adams, Tom Adams, Orville K. Barnes, Hersey Basham, Jr., George A. Boisvin, F.A. Cash, Jr., W.T. Cash, Sr., Jack Cates, Danny Christian, Barry Cooper, Carl Edwards, Robert Gregory, Abner Harrington, Burton James, Jimmy Johnson, Walter Keezell, Robert Kepley, Bonnie Klaiber, David Klaiber, Fred Long, Dennis Martin, Tom McAfferty, Harry Milliken, Ernest Morrison, Robert Nelson, Robert L. Newton, Jr., Elisson Poland, Asa F. Rice, Larry Rockman, F.L. Schrodt, C. Shaw Smith, Richard Snavely, Richard Spainhour, William E. Spooner, William L. Tadlock, M.B. Willis and William H. Wysong.
 

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Ring 199's Charter (click to enlarge)

The Ring continued as the Wallace Lee Ring 199, and for over twenty years, met in the basement of the home of Dick and Dot Snavely.  It was no stretch to say that Dick was instrumental in the creation, nurturing and perpetuation of  the Ring.  It seemed only natural, after his death on August 4, 1997, to honor his memory by amending the name of our Ring to the Wallace Lee-Dick Snavely Ring.  After all, to many of us, Dick was the Ring.
--Michael T. Deering, Ring Historian

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