The First 20 Years of NCC: Memories and Commentary

by Charles A. Upton
Issue No. 240 - April 1993

[Charles was the first President of National Cambridge Collectors, Inc., from May 1973 through April 1974]

It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since we first formed National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. How time flies when you're having fun, right? Well, for some, it has not always been fun, necessarily, but a labor of love maybe?

When I thought back to the beginning of NCC, I tried to remember the original twelve people on the Board of Directors. When I had the list completed, I found that there are only four people that are still members of the NCC. Three are deceased and the other five are no longer members.

Over the years, there have been many dedicated people who have directed, pushed, prayed or whatever, this club to the point where we now stand. We are on firm ground now, but we should not become complacent about our accomplishments. We need real dedication now, more than ever before, or we could lose what so many people have worked so hard to build.

I personally consider the Museum we now have to be a temporary unit, until we can build something that will give due respect and honor to the many, many true craftsmen both male and female, that made Cambridge Glass stand among the top quality products of our Nation. We owe it to those people who toiled in extreme working conditions to give us the glass that we now cherish and collect.

I would like to see us start a building fund for this purpose and become dedicated to this end, every one of us. It is true that not every member joined this organization for the same purposes. But we all need to work to the same goal, and that is to build a Museum that will make the craftsmen very proud of the labors and craft celebrated in The Art of Making Fine Glassware, which they did with perfection. Are you willing to do this? We lost the factory; let us not lose the memories.

It seems that everyone is always wanting money, money, money, everywhere you turn, but I believe that these monies will be used for something positive and good if we all become active and dedicated members and work together. We have come a long way in twenty years to achieve what we have, but it is a long way to the top of the mountain. I believe we can do it.

Many thanks go out to the vast number of people who have worked innumerable hours in every aspect of this organization. Regardless of what they did, they can stand proud of their accomplishments over the past twenty years.

Let us not forget our many departed friends either. We pause and reflect on the many wonderful people that we have lost over the past twenty years. Their memories will always be with us.

Keep up the good work and think CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGE!