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Past Venues, Chairpersons & Presidents of the National Gymanfa Ganu (1929~2002) & North American Festival of Wales (2003~)


Past Venues of Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu
1929 Niagara Falls, NY
1930 Niagara Falls, NY
1931 Niagara Falls, NY
1932 Niagara Falls, NY
1933 Chicago, IL
1934 Cleveland, OH ~ Edward Blythin & John G. Roberts
1935 Youngstown, OH
1936 Atlantic City, NJ ~ Evan Prosser
1937 Johnstown, PA ~ Ewart L. Roberts
1938 Pittsburgh, PA ~ R. H. Davies
1939 Buffalo, NY ~ Lot H. Cooke
1940 Detroit, MI ~ Allen Thomas
1941 New Castle, PA ~ Henry T. Jones
1942 Utica, NY ~ Hobart L. Morris
1943-45 The Gymanfa Ganu was suspended during World War II years.
1946 Akron, OH ~ Ernest Harris
1947 Akron, OH ~ Ernest Harris
1948 Detroit, MI ~ Allen Thomas
1949 Salt Lake City, UT ~ John James & Dr. M. D. Thomas
1950 Canton, OH ~ Mrs. David F. Evans & Edward J. Hopkins
1951 Milwaukee, WI ~ John R. Jones
1952 Columbus, OH ~ E. I. Evans
1953 Rochester, NY ~ Lynn C. Watkins
1954 Philadelphia, PA ~ Thomas E. Rees
1955 Salt Lake City, UT ~ George C. Lloyd
1956 Cleveland, OH ~ John G. Roberts
1957 Washington, DC ~ Mrs. Sarah Ann Davies
1958 Milwaukee, WI ~ John Pritchard
1959 Toronto, ON ~ Douglas C. Jones
1960 San Francisco, CA ~ Dr. M. D. Thomas
1961 Chicago, IL ~ Mrs. Florence E. Williams
1962 Utica, NY ~ Richard Hughes
1963 Detroit, MI ~ Walter T. Perrott
1964 Philadelphia, PA ~ John Ellis Rosser
1965 Pittsburgh, PA ~ George K. Richards
1966 Los Angeles, CA ~ Dr. M. D. Thomas
1967 Toronto, ON ~ Ivor Davies
1968 Buffalo, NY ~ Mair Monkhouse
1969 Cleveland, OH ~ John G. Roberts
1970 Milwaukee, WI ~ Gwynn Parri
1971 Salt Lake City, UT ~ Dr. M. D. Thomas
1972 Chicago, IL ~ Mrs. Robert J. Williams
1973 Toronto, ON ~ W. F. Blanch
1974 Cleveland, OH ~ John G. Roberts
1975 New York, NY ~ Wilfred O. Greenway
1976 Philadelphia, PA ~ Elisabeth Griffith
1977 Ottawa, ON ~ Don Mills & Tal Griffiths
1978 Minneapolis, MN ~ David E. Thomas
1979 Niagara Falls, NY ~ Gwyneth Crysler & Lewis Edwards [*1]
1980 Vancouver, BC ~ Gwenfyl E. Jones
1981 Utica, NY ~ Robert A. Jones
1982 Toronto, ON ~ Eluned Thomas
1983 Wilkes-Barre, PA ~ Jack A. Pritchard
1984 Portland, OR ~ Emmaline Davies & Betty Pierce [*2]
1985 Montreal, PQ ~ Terrence Pearce
1986 Columbus, OH ~ Tom Brownfield
1987 St. Paul, MN ~ Mae Howells Anderson
1988 Baltimore, MD ~ Barbara A. Morgan
1989 Pittsburgh, PA ~ David R. Lewis & John C. Williams
1990 Victoria, BC ~ Yvonne Griffiths-Evans
1991 Cincinnati, OH ~ David Taliesin Richards & Dr. Wm. John Lewis
1992 Kansas City, MO ~ Jack A. Nesbitt & Ann McFerrin
1993 Wilkes-Barre, PA ~ Jack A. Pritchard & Beth Landmesser
1994 Bellevue, WA ~ Alan Upshall
1995 Harrisburg, PA ~ Glenn Grove & Pat St.Clair
1996 Utica, NY ~ Rev. Stephen L. Reese & Patricia C. Driver
1997 Milwaukee, WI ~ David T. Williams & Arline H. Barsamian
1998 Columbus, OH ~ Mary Ellen Morgan & Marietta Riggs Schumann
1999 Minneapolis, MN ~ Dr. Ellis J. Jones & Mary Morris Mergenthal
2000 Ottawa, ON ~ Ian Morris
2001 San Jose, CA ~ Howard Thomas
2002 Harrisburg, PA ~ Glenn Grove & Cheryl Mitchell

Past Venues of the North American Festival of Wales
2003 Richmond, BC ~ Alan Upshall & Lynn Owens-Whalen [*3]
2004 Buffalo, NY ~ Myfanwy Davies [*4]
2005 Orlando, FL ~ Jan Briggs & Trudy Howells
2006 Cincinnati, OH ~ Ian Morris
2007 Washington, DC ~ Hywel Davies
2008 Chicago, IL ~ Barbara Jones
2009 Pittsburgh, PA ~ Ian Morris
2010 Portland, OR ~ Janet Figini & Betty Pierce
2011 Cleveland, OH ~ Barbara Jones *[5]
2012 Scranton, PA ~ Beth Landmesser
2013 Toronto, ON ~ Betty Cullingworth
2014 Minneapolis, MN ~ Mary Morris Mergenthal & Kay Gavin
2015 Columbus, OH ~ Laura Jenkins Gorun
2016 Calgary, AB ~ David Matthews & Elaine Westlake
2017 Rochester, NY ~ David & Janet Allen
2018 Alexandria, VA ~ Katherine De Francis & Diane Owen
2019 Milwaukee, WI ~ Jan Jones Batty & Danny Proud
2020 Virtual North American Festival of Wales [*6]
2021 Utica, NY ~ Ted Engle
2022 Philadelphia, PA ~ Jack Williams & Taylor Williams
2023 Lincoln, NE ~ Gwenith Closs-Colgrove & Susan Evans Atchison
2024 Pittsburgh PA ~ Betsy Teti, Ian Samways & Jessica Davis

[1]  50th Anniversary Jubilee Gymanfa Ganu
[2]  The first all female team to chair a National
      venue committee

[3]  1st Annual North American Festival of Wales
[4]  75th Anniversary Nelson L. Llewellyn Gymanfa Ganu
[5]  Organization name changed to the Welsh North
     American Association
[6] 
Was suspended due to the  COVID-19 pandemic.
      A virtual NAFOW was presented in its place

Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu ~ Past Presidents
1929-31   William E. Lewis, Youngstown, OH
1932        James Attwood, Youngstown, OH
1933        George D. Rees, Chicago, IL
1934        Edwin Blythin, Cleveland, OH
1935         Edward B. Williams, Youngstown, OH
1936-37   John Evans, Chicago, IL
1938-39   George Hopkins, Canton, OH
1939-41   Caradoc Ellis, Johnstown, PA
1942-49   Henry T. Jones, New Castle, PA
1950-53   Allen Thomas, Ferndale, MI
1954-55   Henry T. Jones, New Castle, PA
1956-57   M. D. Thomas, Salt Lake City, UT
1958-60  John G. Roberts, Cleveland, OH
1961-62   Douglas C. Jones, Toronto, ON
1963-64  H. L. Roberts, Pelham Manor, NY
1965-66  Angharad Lloyd Roberts, Vancouver, BC
1967-68  John G. Roberts, Cleveland, OH
1969-70  Lewis Edwards, Niagara Falls, ON
1971-72   Emlyn Lloyd, Detroit, MI
1973-74   Owen C. Roberts, Montreal, PQ
1975-76   Gwynn J. Parri, Milwaukee, WI
1977-78   Eluned M. Thomas, Toronto, ON
1979-80  David L. Mandry, Ravenswood, WV
1981-82   J. Humphreys Jones,Toronto, ON
1983-84  Norman E. Williams, Utica, NY
1985-86  Gwenfyl E. Jones, Vancouver, BC
1987-88  David E. Thomas, Edina, MN
1989-90  Paul E. Stevens, Poland, OH
1991-92   Don Mills, Kanata, ON
1993-94  Dr. Ellis J. Jones, St. Peter, MN
1995-96  William John Lewis MD, Kettering, OH
1997-98   Rev. Dr. R. Cerwyn Davies, Scarborough, ON
1999-00  Col. Alfred J. Reese, Jr., Lehighton, PA
2001-02   Dr. Alan Upshall, Kenmore, WA
2003-04   Lynn Owens-Whalen, Vancouver, BC
2005-06  Rev. Richard P. Baskwill, Lutherville, MD
2007-08  Roy Morris, Kanata, ON
2009        Rev. Robert Hughes, Akron, OH
2009-10  Dr. AdaMae Lewis, Ames, IA


Welsh North American Association ~ Past Presidents
2011-12  Hywel Davies, Bethesda, MD
2013-14  Barbara Leedy, Grand Rapids, MI
2015-16  Ian Samways, Pittsburgh, PA
2017-18  William Fanning, Orange, CA
2019-22  David Matthews, Calgary AB
2022-24  Jeanne Jones Jindra, Gallipolis, OH  

Future Venues of the
North American Festival of Wales

2026  Springfield, Massachusetts 
2027 Cleveland, Ohio
​2028 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Welsh North American Association International Headquarters
Dr. Megan Williams, Executive Secretary
P.O. Box 1054, Trumansburg, NY, 14886
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  • About the Festival
    • Schedule at a Glance
    • Registration
    • Volunteer
    • Accommodations
    • Eisteddfod
    • Cinema Wales
    • Contribute
    • Advertise / Exhibitors / Sponsor
  • About the WNAA
    • Become a Member
    • Current Officers
    • Past Venues
    • Join the Legacy Society
    • WNAA Book Store >
      • Publications and Recordings
      • WNAA Hymnal Reproduction Policy
      • E-Hymnal Project
  • Affiliated Welsh Org's
    • AWO Directory
    • Join as an AWO
    • Welsh Resources
    • Annual AWO Meeting
    • North America Wales Foundation
    • Ninnau Publications
    • Great Plains Heritage Museum
    • Cymry Gogledd America
  • NAFOW Blog & Archive