AMERICAN MENSA FOUNDER DIES

Peter A. Sturgeon, the man considered to be the founder of American Mensa, passed away in Vienna, Austria, on Friday, July 22. He was 88.

Sturgeon was a medical writer living in Brooklyn, N.Y., when he read an article about Mensa. He wrote to the Mensa Selection Agency in England in March 1960, passed the Cattell test above the 99th percentile that May and became a Mensa member later that year. He was authorized to start forming a New York City regional group in August 1960 and assumed the title of Provisional Secretary, although the "provisional" was soon dropped. This group was the first outside of Britain to be recognized and has since evolved into American Mensa, Ltd., the largest of more than 50 national Mensa organizations.

Sturgeon served as American Mensa's Secretary until 1965, when he resigned after accepting employment with the World Health Organization in Switzerland. During his tenure as Secretary, many of the foundations of American Mensa were laid including the Local Group and regional structure, the Annual Gathering national convention, Regional Gatherings, Local Group newsletters, the American Mensa Committee, national recruiting efforts, the American Mensa Bylaws and the creation of the National Office.

Sturgeon published the first edition of the American Mensa Activities Report in 1961 and served as its editor through July 1962; this publication soon evolved into the Mensa Bulletin, the organization's national membership magazine. He was also American Mensa's first National Representative to the Mensa International Board of Directors, serving from 1962 to 1965.