Difference between revisions of "Len Vintus"

Revision as of 07:49, 18 July 2010

Len Vintus (June 19, 1903 - June 17, 1999), born Melvin Justus Given McMullen in Canada, was co-founder of the IBM (he was member #1) and served as its first president from 1922-1926. Vintus also edited the original Linking Ring magazine.

Vintus had a successful career as a semi professional entertainer doing Ventriloquism as Len Vintus & Jerry "The Talking Doll". Thinking that his real name was too cumbersome for show business, he lifted the last syllable from his surname and combined two syllables from his other names to come up with Len Vintus.

His day jobs were as a as General Manager with North American Lumber, building consultant, chairman of a school board, and a prominent person in Manitoba's board of trade work. As Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce he was to become known as Mr. Manitoba in Canada.

Publications

• "The Magicians of The World" directory

Awards and honors

• Associate Member of The Inner Magic Circle (Silver Star).
• Linking Ring Cover May, 1925
• Special fellowship for his research work from the Academy of Magical Arts (1980)
• Honored guests at I.B.M. International Convention in Minneapolis July, 1997

References

• THIS IS YOUR LIFE by PETER D. BLANCHARD in The Magic Circular January 1981.
• Cover Linking Ring, Vol. 3, no. 1, May 1925
• Obituary - Linking Ring July, 1999