Samuel Conway

Lore & Background

Conway earned a B.S. from Ursinus College in 1986 and a Ph.D. from Dartmouth College in 1991, with a thesis on the attempted generation of indolyne. He held postdoctoral and contract positions, including work for the FDA, Bionetics, Avid Therapeutics, and Message Pharmaceuticals. He later worked as a regulatory chemist for Cerexagri and as a principal chemist for West Pharmaceutical Services. As of July 2013, he was employed near Raleigh, North Carolina. He has authored eleven professional publications and two patents, one for hepatitis B treatment compounds and another for recyclable packaging.

Conway entered the furry fandom at the 1989 Worldcon and became chairman of Anthrocon in 1999 after being a guest of honor in 1998. Under his leadership, the convention grew from 842 to 2,489 attendees (1999–2006), moved to Philadelphia, then to Pittsburgh. He handles public relations, hotel contracts, finances, and media dealings. He discourages unauthorized media contact but relaxed this stance after the 2006 move, giving interviews to local newspapers and a radio station.

Within the fandom, Conway performs as 'Uncle Kage' in annual storytelling sessions at Anthrocon, a role that began at ConFurence in 1994. He has also served as an auctioneer, raising over $66,000 for wildlife charities at Anthrocon alone. He has published short stories in various fanzines and collections, with one story nominated for a Ursa Major Award. In 2012, he helped raise over $21,000 to keep a Pittsburgh restaurant that welcomed furries from closing.

Reader's Guide

Samuel Conway's significance lies in his dual career as a research chemist and as a central organizer of one of the largest furry conventions. His leadership of Anthrocon from 1999 onward transformed it from a small gathering into a major event, moving it to larger cities and managing its growth. His approach to media relations—initially restrictive, later more open—reflects a pragmatic strategy to protect the convention from sensationalist coverage while allowing controlled access. Within the fandom, his storytelling and auctioneering have made him a recognizable figure, and his charity efforts, including fundraising for a local restaurant, demonstrate his influence beyond the convention itself. His scientific work, though less publicly known, includes patents and publications in organic chemistry. Conway's legacy is that of a bridge between a professional scientific career and a passionate fan community, using organizational skills to build and sustain a large-scale event.

Did You Know?

• Conway was an experimental bone marrow donor in 1990 for a 4-year-old with Hunter syndrome; the operation was the first of its kind involving an unrelated donor and was successful.
• He has raised over $66,000 for wildlife charities through auctions at Anthrocon alone.
• His stage name 'Uncle Kage' derives from his fandom name Kagemushi Goro, a reference to Kagemusha.
• Conway helped add over 500 entries to the National Marrow Donor Program registry.