In 1973, John Bradbury and a group of Texas-based Star Trek fans decided to proclaim their love of all things Trek by forming their own fan club, the USS Enterprise. Under Bradbury’s leadership, the little club did many of the same things modern STARFLEET chapters do: Fundraisers, costuming, parties, newsletters, and fan publications.

On May 23rd, 1974, the first issue of the newly fledged organization’s newsletter (which was then called STARFLEET Communications), made the grand announcement: “The USS Enterprise has been reorganized, effective Stardate 2538.0. It will henceforth be known as STARFLEET, due to directives determined during reorganization.” By the end of the first year, there were 14 chapters.