William H. McCaffrey

William H. McCaffrey
Cover of Genii (1943)
Born	February 19, 1899 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
Died	February 18, 1988 (age 88) Los Angeles, California

William (Bill) H. McCaffrey (February 19, 1899 - 1988) was known as one of the best card magicians of his time.

Biography

McCaffrey graduated from Duquesne Univ. and Univ. of Pittsburgh and became an accountant. He worked for The American Fruit Growers Association for many years out of Pittsburgh , which allowed him to travel. He became president of Pittsburgh SAM Assembly No. 18 (in the 1920s) and on up to President of SAM in 1934.

When the headquarters were moved from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles in the 1940s, he moved out to California. He became President of SAM Assembly Number 22 of Southern California.

He studied hypnotism and psychic subjects. That attraction to the occult created a leaning towards effects of a mental nature, which gradually led to his semi-pro act, "Psychic Possibilities." He presented this for a number of years, and was introduced as, "The Man with the Telepathic Mind."

Greater Magic by John Northern Hilliard contains fifteen of his original tricks and he was included as one of the chapter on Card Stars of the U.S.A..

Some notable creations are:

• Money Paddle
• McCaffrey Stack deck
• Cut and Restored Dollar Bill (see Greater Magic)
• Bill McCaffrey's Prize Winner" (First Ad in The Linking Ring, October 1933, see also Greater Magic)
• The Pedagogue's Nightmare in Genii 1943 June, Vol. 7, No. 10, or My Best (1945), page 174.

References

• Who's Who in Magic, Sphinx, January, 1933
• Cover of Genii 1943 June.
• Cover MUM, December 1956
• http://www.faqs.org/people-search/william-mccaffrey/