Louis Russell Chauvenet
Louis Russell Chauvenet (February 12, 1920-June 24, 2003) was a fanzine editor and the originator of the term "fanzine".
Loius "Russ" Russell Chauvenet was a science fiction fan and one of the founders of science fiction 'fandom'. He started the Boston sf association "The Stranger Club", which met at his house, with Art Widner, Henry Earl Singleton and Francis Paro, who co-edited the club zine, (FanFare), as well as R.D. Swisher and others.
In 1940, Chauvenet published his zine Detours, and in the October 1940 issue he wrote about the controversy in science fiction fandom circles at that time: what to call these new, hectographed publications fans were releasing in the U.S.A., Canada, and the UK? Previously they had been called "fanmags". Chauvenet coined the term "fanzine" as well as the term "prozine" to describe the professionally published science fiction and fantasy magazines.
He co-founded the National Fantasy Fan federation with Art Widner and Damon Kight.
"Russ" Chauvenet had been deaf since the age of ten after suffering from cerebro-spinal meningitis. He attended Central Institute for the Deaf, and then went on to receive his bachelor of science in biology and master of science in chemistry. Starting in 1948, he worked on computers as a civilian employee of the U.S. Department of Defense until he retired. In his later years he was an avid sailor and a renown chess player.
