About the S.A.M.

A Note from the President

Welcome to The Society of American Magicians - the world's oldest and most prestigious magic organization. I am honored to lead the organization as National President for the 2024-’25 term.

Please explore our site to learn about the Society - its history, its mission, its programs, and its benefits. You can receive a free sample copy of M-U-M Magazine, the monthly publication of the S.A.M., which is available monthly to our members in both print and electronic formats. Our motto, Magic - Unity - Might, was established by our founders in 1902 and we continue to follow the principles set forth by our founders.

As a member there are a vast array of benefits for you to take advantage - here’s a small sample:

Watch free monthly live magic lectures and assembly meetings as part of our virtual Assembly V1.1. All lectures are recorded, so you can watch on-demand (350 hrs+ worth of material). We also have v1.2 Workshops, v1.3 lectures for Western Europe, and v1.4 for Spanish language, all available on our Video Hub.
Enjoy our monthly magazine, M-U-M, which is filled with magic news, interviews, and new magic effects to learn and study. Our electronic version (which you’ll find at magicsam.com) has access to bonus content, including videos. All past issues of M-U-M magazine are online for you to peruse (dating back to 1911). We also have a new search feature for you to look up specific effects and topics from every issue published.

Become a member of a LOCAL ASSEMBLY. Whether you have a local Assembly nearby or not, you are always welcome to visit any of the more than 200 Assemblies around the world. If there is not a local assembly near you, you can always join the Assembly V1.1 for live meetings where all members are invited.

Join in with our social media presence, whether Facebook, Instagram, or Threads.
Don’t like those social media options? S.A.M. HAS ITS OWN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM. You can connect with members via our S.A.M. Community, a private, members-only social media platform. We also have our Backstage SAM podcast that features stories presented for magic fans.

If you like what you see, join us! Houdini, Blackstone, David Copperfield, Lance Burton, Mat Franco, and more than 47,000 other magicians worldwide over the years have helped to preserve, elevate, and advance the art of magic as S.A.M. Compeers.

John Midgley
National President 2024-’25

History of the Society of American Magicians

The Society of American Magicians, founded on May 10, 1902, in Martinka’s famous magic shop in New York City, New York, is the oldest and most prestigious magical society in the world. For over a century it has promoted the ideals shared by Kellar, Houdini, Thurston and more than 47,000 others world-wide who have held membership in the society. Those ideals include the elevation of the Art of Magic, the promotion of harmony among magicians, and the opposition of the unnecessary public exposure of magical effects.

The S.A.M. offers the opportunity to unite and associate with leaders in the World of Magic – not only professionals, but amateurs, manufacturers, magic dealers, book authors and magic collectors. Through its monthly publications, annual conventions, and with almost 300 Assemblies throughout the world, the S.A.M. provides the necessary forum for the advancement of magic through discussions, lectures, research, performances, and exchange of magic secrets within the magic community. To promote those endeavors the S.A.M. presents awards and fellowships in recognition of outstanding achievement in the Art of Magic.

If you have a serious interest in the Art of Magic then you, too, can follow in the footsteps of Harry Houdini, Harry Blackstone, Jr., Siegfried & Roy, Lance Burton, Mac King, Mat Franco, and David Copperfield by joining the most prestigious magical organization in the world – The Society of American Magicians.

Interesting Facts About The Society of American Magicians...

The Society of American Magicians was established on May 10,1902, in New York City, with a membership of 24.
On February 7, 1903, Ehrich Weiss (a.k.a. Harry Houdini) was elected to membership.
The Fourth Annual Dinner Show held on June 4,1908, included Harry Kellar, Harry Houdini, Howard Thurston, Signor
Deadato, Imro Fox, T. Nelson Downs, and others!
In June, 1917, Harry Houdini was elected National President of the S.A.M., a position he held until his untimely death on October 31, 1926.
Over 250 S.A.M. Assemblies have been established world wide.
“M-U-M” is the official publication of the S.A.M. The letters stand for “Magic – Unity – Might.”
The Society of Young Magicians (S.Y.M.) was established in July,1984. Nearly 100 S.Y.M. Assemblies have been established since that time. The official publication of the S.Y.M. is The “Magic SYMbol.”
In July 2002, the Society celebrated its Centennial Year in New York City.
Also in July of 2002, on the 3rd, the US Postal Services issued a Houdini Commemorative Stamp during the Centennial Celebration