Meeting Location:  St. Louis, Missouri (Claridge Hotel)
Meeting Dates:  September 2-4, 1955

The 1955 annual convention of the National Wrestling Alliance took on a special
importance with the emergence of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the
organization's practices for antitrust violations.  Needless to say, there was plenty of
concern about the scope of the inquiry, whether or not individual members were being
looked into, and whether or not the NWA should remain together.  Prior to the first
meeting, Sam Muchnick later told a Justice Department official, he'd heard from "about 10
members" who wanted the NWA to dissolve.

Officers:



Membership Roster: (as of 10/15/55)

Sam Avey
Orville Brown
Max Clayton
Jim Crockett
Rudy Dusek
Cal Eaton
Rod Fenton
Pinkie George
Joe Gunther
Al Haft
Tex Hager
Stewart Hart
Paul Jones
Al Karasick
Fred Kohler
Bill Lewis
Harry Light
Mike London
Salvador Lutteroth
Cowboy Luttrall
Joe Malcewicz
Cliff Maupin
Joe "Toots" Mondt
Sam Muchnick
Hugh Nichols
Eddie Quinn
Dave Reynolds
Morris Sigel
Tony Stecher
Frank Tunney
Roy Welch
Billy Wolfe
Pedro Martinez*
Karl Sarpolis*
Billy Watson*

*New Members

Dory Detton, Ed Don George, and Bob Murray resigned from the NWA after their
territories were sold.  Billy Watson bought out Seattle from Murray, Detton sold out to Karl
Sarpolis, and George sold to Pedro Martinez.

Paul Bowser, Sam Menacker, Don Owen, and Leonard Schwartz were each dropped from
the membership for not paying their dues and assessments for 1955-'56.

Leonard Schwartz was dropping out voluntarily and was being given a "leave of absence"
because of his health problems.  If his health improved, Schwartz wanted to return to the
organization and the promotion of pro wrestling.

The membership unanimously agreed to pay an annual salary of $15,000 to Muchnick to
serve as the president and booker of the heavyweight champion.

During the meeting, Cal Eaton announced "several times" that he'd gone to Washington,
D.C., and claimed to have some insider information about the Government's investigation
- including that members had nothing to fear.  Muchnick was unsure whether or not Eaton
knew more about the actual investigation that he personally did.  It is not clear who Eaton
met with during his stay in Washington or what effect it had on the investigation - and the
resulting Consent Decree in 1956.  It is possible that Eaton's connection had a major
influence on the case, however, it is just as possible that he made absolutely no bearing
on what transpired.  But for a moment at the 1955 convention, he looked like the man
who had the power to halt Government interference.

Doyle, who was having problems getting his promotion off the ground in Las Vegas as an
independent operator, wrote to the Department of Justice on September 6, 1955, saying:  
"With Eaton's boastful assurance, the members emerged from their recent meeting of the
Alliance with assurance of immunity and determination to strangle Las Vegas Wrestling
as the last threat to their monopoly."











Research by Tim Hornbaker
January 4, 2011
National Wrestling Alliance Convention - 1955