BAM History


BAM was formed at a blacksmith hammer-in at Culver-Stockton College on November 4, 1983.

Bob Patrick had obtained the Missouri portion of the ABANA membership list and sent invitations to the hammer-in to each Missouri member. If memory serves, there were twelve individuals in attendance, including Doug Hendrickson, Bonnie Hendrickson, Steve Austin, Don Asbee, me (Bernie Tappel), Bob Patrick, Grady Holley, Steve Baker, and Robert Baker. There was another couple there, but I don’t remember their names and I don’t think they were ever active in BAM as I don’t recall seeing them ever again. Also, one of the professors from Culver-Stockton attended and again, I can’t remember his name. If anyone reading this was at the meeting and I left your name out, let me know so I can include it here.

The event was to be a two day hammer in (Nov 4-5) with a discussion about forming a state group and Bob invited everyone to bring items for a gallery showing at the college. As I recall, we had a very nice showing in the gallery for such a small group. Bob and Grady demonstrated at the meeting and one of the professors lectured and presented a slide show of some of his kinetic sculptures. Many of these sculptures were on display around the campus.

On Friday evening at a dinner meeting, Bob opened the discussion of forming a statewide blacksmith association. After a little discussion, we unanimously decided to form our organization. There were several suggestions for a name for the new group. Doug wanted to name it Artist Blacksmith Association of Missouri (ABAM) modeling the name after ABANA. Several of us didn’t like the artist connotation so Bonnie suggested we just call it Blacksmith Association of Missouri (BAM). This got a unanimous approval and so BAM was born.

Bob Patrick was elected the president, Don Asbee vice president, and Steve Austin secretary-treasurer. Bob volunteered to produce a newsletter and we decided to have periodic meetings at various members’ shops around the state. The first meeting was to be held at Austin Ironworks in Claycomo, near Kansas City in January 1984.

Shortly after the organizational meeting we had additional members join bringing our total membership to 20 and by February 1984 our membership had grown to 50 and we were on our way to becoming one of the best blacksmithing organizations in the country. A big thank you goes to Bob Patrick for making the effort to pull us all together and starting BAM on its way.

BAM Historical Data
(Based on research by Bob Stormer and Bernie Tappel)


President
Bob Patrick
11/4/1983
 -
7/11/1987
Bernie Tappel
7/11/1987
 -
7/22/1989
Steve Baker
7/22/1989
 -
7/20/1991
Tom Clark
7/20/1991
 -
7/23/1994
Pat McCarty
7/23/1994
 -
8/16/1997
Bob Alexander
8/16/1997
 -
3/24/2001
Joe Wilkinson    
3/24/2001
 -
5/2/2004
Don Nichols
5/2/2004
 -
5/7/2006
Kirk Sullens
5/7/2006
 -
5/2/2008
Ken Jansen
5/2/2008
 -
5/1/2011
Doug Clemons
5/1/2011
 -
5/2/2014
Phil Cox
5/2/2014
 -
5/5/2017
Steve McCarthy
5/5/2017
 -
6/13/2020
Santo Giuffrida
6/13/2020
 -
Current


Vice-President (1st Vice-President)
Don Asbee
11/4/1983
 -
7/11/1987
Stan Winkler
7/11/1987
 -
7/23/1988
Dan Whitmore
7/23/1988
 -
7/28/1990
Colin Campbell    
7/28/1990
 -
8/1/1992
Pat McCarty
8/1/1992
 -
7/23/1994
Maurice Ellis
7/23/1994
 -
6/17/1995
Bob Alexander
6/17/1995
 -
8/16/1997
Mike Williamson
8/16/1997
 -
5/5/2002
Don Nichols
5/5/2002
 -
5/2/2004
Doug Clemons
5/2/2004
 -
5/2/2008
Larry Hults
5/2/2008
 -
5/1/2011
Fred Arnhold
5/1/2011
 -
5/2/2014
Steve McCarthy
5/2/2014
 -
5/5/2017
Michael Gorzel
5/5/2017
 -
5/3/2019
Kent Harbit
5/3/2019
 -
7/23/2020
Mark Lawson
7/23/2020
 -
Current


2nd Vice-President
Maurice Ellis
1/30/1993
 -
7/23/1994
Todd Kinniken
7/23/1994
 -
6/17/1995
Vernon Fisher
6/17/1995
 -
8/16/1997
Phil Williamson    
8/16/1997
 -
7/10/1999
Joe Wilkinson
7/10/1999
 -
7/29/2000
Don Nichols
7/29/2000
 -
5/5/2002
Ed Harper
5/5/2002
 -
5/5/2012
Phil Cox
5/5/2012
 -
5/2/2014
Bernie Tappel
5/2/2014
 -
5/3/2019
Mark Lawson
5/3/2019
 -
7/23/2020
Orry Harbit
10/17/2020
 -
4/28/2023
Hollis Harbit
4/28/2023
 -
Current


Secretary
Steve Austin
11/4/1983
 -
1/30/1993
Doug Hendrickson
1/30/1993
 -
7/17/1993
John Murray
7/17/1993
 -
5/1/2005
Peggy Williamson
5/1/2005
 -
5/2/2008
Don Anders (East)
5/2/2008
 -
5/2/2008
Fathom DeGrate Claxton (West)    
5/2/2008
 -
5/1/2011
Don Anders
5/1/2011
 -
5/2/2014
Bob Stormer
5/2/2014
 -
3/1/2022
Chris Bopp
3/1/2022
 -
Current


Treasurer
Steve Austin
11/4/1983
 -
6/17/1995
Gary Kobermann     
6/17/1995
 -
7/13/1996
Maurice Ellis
7/13/1996
 -
3/24/2001
Bruce Herzog
3/24/2001
 -
12/31/2020
Chris Miller
12/31/2020
 -
Current


Newsletter Editor
Bob Patrick
11/4/1983
 -
4/20/1985
Grady Holley
4/20/1985
 -
10/18/1986
Doug Hendrickson    
10/18/1986
 -
7/28/1990
Bernie Tappel (Assistant Editor)    
10/18/1986
 -
5/31/1991
Walt Hull
7/28/1990
 -
7/28/1992
Jim McCarty
7/28/1992
 -
5/1/2003
Ned Digh
5/1/2003
 -
1/1/2005
Bob Ehrenberger
1/1/2005
 -
3/1/2015
Jon & Heather McCarty
3/1/2015
 -
12/31/2020
Mike McLaughlin
1/1/2021
 -
Current


Art Director
Jerry Hoffmann    
7/11/1987
 -
7/28/1990
Jacquie Waller
7/28/1990
 -
7/28/1992


Conference Chairman
Dates
     
Locations
Tom Clark
4/25-26/1992
    
Potosi Sponsored by Tom Clark
Doug Hendrickson
4/24-25/1993
    
Potosi First conference sponsored by BAM
Stan Winkler
4/30-5/1/1994
    
Potosi
Tom Clark
5/5-5-7/1995
    
Potosi
Maurice Ellis
5/3-5-5/1996
    
Potosi
Lou Mueller
5/2-5-4/1997
    
Potosi
Bruce Herzog
5/1-5-3/1998
    
Potosi
Pat McCarty
5/1-5-3/1999
    
Washington
Doug Hendrickson
5/5-5-7/2000
    
Warrenton
Bob Alexander
5/5-5-7/2001
    
Warrenton
Pat McCarty
5/3-5/5/2002
    
Warrenton
Reuben Funk
5/2-5/4/2003
    
Warrenton
Fred Weisenborn    
4/30-5/2/2004
    
Warrenton
Larry Hults
4/29-5/1/2005
    
Warrenton
Larry Hults
5/5-5/7/2006
    
Warrenton
Larry Hults
5/4-5/6/2007
    
Sedalia
Kirk Sullens
5/1-5/3/2008
    
Sedalia
Joe Hurley
4/30-5/3/2009
    
Sedalia
Joe Hurley
4/28-5/2/2010
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
4/29-5/1/2011
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
5/3-5/6/2012
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
5/2-5/5/2013
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
5/1-5/4/2014
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
4/30-5/3/2015
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
4/28-5/1/2016
    
Sedalia
Mike McLaughlin
5/4-5/7/2017
    
Sedalia
Michael Gorzel
5/3-5/6/2018
    
Sedalia
Michael Gorzel
5/2-5/5/2019
    
Sedalia
Michael Gorzel
4/30-5/3/2020
    
Sedalia(Canceled)
Michael Gorzel
4/29-5/2/2021
    
Sedalia
Michael Gorzel
4/28-5/1/2022
    
Sedalia
Ashley Farnsworth
4/27-4/30/2023
    
Sedalia


Webmaster
Jim McCarty
3/1/1997
 -
1/1/2002
Ed Harper
1/1/2002
 -
4/13/2012
Bernie Tappel    
5/1/2012
 -
Current


MTS Chairman
Don Birdsall    
2/1/2004
 -
11/1/2008
Vacant
11/1/2008
 -
3/1/2010
Denis Yates
3/1/2010
 -
1/11/2014
Don Birdsall    
1/11/2014
 -
3/23/2019
Don Anders    
3/23/2019
 -
Current


History
Founded
November 4, 1983
Became an ABANA Chapter
May 25, 1985
First Conference
April 25, 1992
First Scholarships available
1994
Website started
March 1, 1997
MTS started by Lou Mueller    
2002