As we get closer to the 100th Birthday of the NCA, it's fun to see how the 50th Birthday was presented. The following was written by Virginia Gerseny, Editor of the NCA Newsletter, January, 1973.
PRESENTING THE PRESIDENTS
Assemble together a group of costumers (all different kinds – some with lots of ability, some with not so much – with many different motives for belonging to the NCA, and mostly with very little money to support it), add a group of suppliers eager to realize profits, season with vast space between members to complicate communication, stir in a depression, a world war and an expensive management firm; put it all in the over for fifty years, and when you take out a beautiful golden NCA cake, wonder what held it together and molded it into a marvelous whole. The answer is the twenty-six dedicated men who have served the NCA as its presidents, who have gone far beyond the line of duty to build, preserve and improve the costume industry through the NCA.
The twenty-six men of this chronicle were all owners of demanding, time-consuming businesses. Each struggled with the problem of how much time and effort and money he would devote to the outside NCA interest. Each battled with negligence, apathy, distrust and inefficiency from some colleagues, and each was blessed with devotion, interest and untiring effort from others. To these men the NCA owes its fifty years of existence and the splendid moments it has achieved. To these men we gratefully dedicate the Indianapolis meeting of 1973, a fifty-year monument to their efforts and foresight.
Samuel H. Harrelson, Kansas City Costumes
C. Lester Essig, Lester Ltd.
David M. Yost, Krause Costumes Co
C. E. Hooker, Hooker Howe Costumes
Charles Haentze, Haentze
N. Fred Essig, Lester Ltd.
Samuel H. Harrelson, Kansas City Costumes
D. C. Sorenson, Colorado Costumes
Emil P. Hilbert, Minneapolis Costumes
C. Arthur Landes, Landes Costumes
Ernest H. Johnson, Colonial Costumes
J.R. Hirschfield, Detroit Costumes
Willis Crocker, Fletcher Costume Company
Dave Miller, Dave Miller Costume Shop
Irvin H. Dawson, Cleveland Costumes
Charles F. Finegan, Finegan Costumes
John T. Scott, Norcostco
Joseph R. Landes, Landes Costumes
Murl Daniels, Costume Service Center
C.F. Allen, Salt Lake Costumes
Wayne Murphy, Norcostco
Percy Rubenstein, Bittners Costumes
Philip F. Stebler Jr, Essers Costumes
Norman Trottier, Hooker Howe Costumes
Edward Roman, Chicago Costumes
Melvin P. Gerseny, Krause Costumes