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Early IJAer Eva Crosby dies at age 90

Eva S. Crosby, Honorary Life Member of the IJA, died April 14 in Sanford, Fla., at age 90.

Born in Toronto, Canada, in 1890 she lived in Jamestown, NY for about 55 years, until moving to Florida in 1976. While in Jamestown, she assisted her husband, Doc Crosby, in his physiotherapy office. Doc died in October 1975.

Both Eva and Doc were part of the group which founded the IJA in 1947. Violet Carlson Beahan, a longtime friend of the Crosbys from Carmel, CA remembered the couple this way:

"Eva and Doc used to visit Harry Lind and my mother, Clara, and we all juggled in the back yard. Doc was a physiotherapist, and one of the best. He said that juggling strengthened his arms, and he loved it. He was also a great tap dancer and had many other talents."

Beahan continued, "Eva and I used to play piano ducts after it got too dark to juggle. She was a really beautiful, gentle soul, and she worked with Doc in many ways. All of the early members of the IJA who knew these two dear people loved them."

At the first lJA convention in 1948, Doc Crosby was the convention chairman. But, as was later reported in the "Jugglers Bulletin," the billing should have been Dr. and Mrs. Crosby, co-chairmen. Reporting on the second convention, Belly Gorham wrote, "Doc and Mrs. Crosby busy as bees, but always time for a kind word."

She held many positions in the IJA. The first was as historian in 1953, but she was also chaplain, secretary and historian again steadily from then until 1975. Dennis Soldati, current IJA historian, writes, "Eva and Doc were always giving a helping hand, a kind word, looking out for the IJA and not themselves."

Many of the newspaper clippings about early IJA conventions and activities are the result of Eva's collecting. IJA members should remember her always as a major pillar in the organization's history.

The founding of the IJ A

- By Eva Crosby

Groups of jugglers, meeting by chance at various places and various times, had previously voiced the need for an organization where they could meet at stated intervals in an atmosphere of mutual friendship to further their art.

But it was in June 1947, during the International Brotherhood of Magicians Convention in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, that it came to a head. Several of the jugglers present talked about organizing a juggler's association of some sort... something of their own. So Harry Lind, Art Jennings, Bill Dunham, Bernie Joyce, Eddie Johnson, Roger Montandon, George Barvinchak and Jack Greene made a date for a noon lunch at the Ambassador Cafe where the subject was discussed further.

Art Jennings proposed that Jack Greene act as chairman, which he did, George Barvinchak was appointed secretary. The meeting got underway. The reverse side of the bill of fare was used to record the meeting, until someone went to the bar and obtained a few sheets of the cafe stationery.

After juggling things around, Art Jennings was elected president; Eddie Johnson, vice president; George Barvinchak, secretary and Roger Montandon, treasurer. No directors were elected at this meeting. They were elected at the Jamestown Convention in 1948. After suggestions from each member, a vote was taken and "The International Jugglers Association" was adopted as the name of the organization. Snap shots were taken as the group left the cafe. All returned to the convention hotel where they soon found some more members.

There were many doubts expressed as to the future. But through Roger Montandon's "Jugglers Bulletin," and the efforts of many others, the association grew. Thus the IJA was born.