1979
Jerry V. Tobias
(1929-2014)
Jerry Tobias was involved with and dedicated to the principles of Oz nearly his entire life. He was reading and collecting Oz books at an early age. As a teenager he staged a short version of The Land of Oz to sell to a local department store for the entertainment of little children while their mothers shopped.
Jerry continued to expand his collection of Oz books, including rare and first editions. He was an early participant in the Oz Club conventions, including those at Bass Lake and Castle Park, where he brought his daughters, Patty and Wendy, to be a part of the Oz family. His frequent contributions to the early auctions were always appreciated.
An early researcher of Oz and Oz books, Jerry was the editor-in-chief of The Baum Bugle from 1973 to 1977. In that role, he brought the publication to a high level of professionalism. He introduced, for example, such features as typesetting; until then, the magazine had been reproduced from typewritten masters. And he added the subtitle “A Journal of Oz” to the publication’s name.