IN 1905 ANOTHER association was formed with the avowed purpose of cultivating the literary spirit and furnishing a training school for amateur journalists before they joined the more advanced National and Interstate associations. It was known as the Atlantic Coast Amateur Press Association. It was called into being by Vincent B. Haggerty, at that time a resident of Bridgeport, Conn., who became its provisional President. Under his leadership it developed signs of being a prosperous and useful organization, but when its first convention was held the following year it became involved in personal controversy and an intense political contest. And from that time on the political atmosphere was so heated that little else was thought of.
The first convention, held in Baltimore in 1906, elected Miss M. Beulah Ferguson of that city as President. She became a candidate for re-election, but at the New York convention in 1907, after an exceedingly bitter campaign, J. Ray Spink, of Philadelphia, an editor of the Pioneer, was made President. The next year at Philadelphia John W. Smith, of Hudson Heights, N. J., editor of the paper Boys’ Companion, was elected President. The 1909 convention was to have been held in Washington, but owing to inactivity in that city the meeting place was changed to Brooklyn, N. Y. Victor J. Singer was elected President there, but he became inactive. The next convention was to have been held in Boston, but no delegates came. John W. Smith, who had been elected Secretary in Brooklyn, made an effort to revive interest in the association during 1910, and published an issue of the official organ, named the Atlantic Coast Amateur, but his efforts proved unavailing and the organization passed out of existence