CASI Historic Events

CASI Historical Goodies

The Chili Appreciation Society has been around since 1949, in some form or another. George Haddaway is given credit as the founder of this society.

Dr. Carl Jaks, a professor at Texas Lutheran College, developed the blind judging system. It was first used by Chilympiad, and then adopted by the Pods.

Terlingua Championships were held at the Ghost Town until 1977 when they moved to Villa de la Mina. Rancho CASI de los Chisos was purchased in 1990.

The first Pod was the Houston Pod (1972). SAP-CASI formed in 1975, and Cowtown and SOT formed in 1977. Highland Lakes Pod formed in 1978, but the first Howdy Roo was held on April 8, 1972.

Fred McMurry was the first ever Great Pepper (Houston Pod).

In November 1974, Frank Tolbert wrote a letter resigning from CASI and the Terlingua cookoff and invited Carroll Shelby to take the championship to California; thus the birth of the International Chili Society (ICS). In the letter Frank said, "Why don't you fellows stage it (the cookoff) in California and save the freight."

1977 was the first year under the "points" system. A 3-2-1 points system was developed after the 1976 Championship, and 6 points were required to qualify.

1978 was the first year for separate chili and showmanship competition at TICC. Rules for showmanship were developed in 1979 and it was the first year for separate qualification for chili and showmanship. The Cookoff in 1979 was the first Championship cookoff under the new showmanship rules. The Bottom of the Barrel Gang was the first showmanship team to qualify on points under the new showmanship rules.

Richard Knight designed the CASI logo, the world within a pepper, on the back of a napkin in Paul Smith's home in Dallas, Texas in 1979

On October 6, 1979, Ray and Judie King and Paul and Em Smith incorporated C.A.S.I.

At the 1982 Great Peppers' Meeting, the Great Peppers set the second Saturday in September each year for the Great Peppers’ Meeting.

The "new" CASI was formed in 1983, and Great Peppers were given the right to vote. A proposal presented by Frank Fox created the structure of the nine-member Board of Directors and an Executive Director.

In 1983, through the efforts of CASI, Carrol Shelby (Dodge) and other sponsors, a $50,000 ambulance was donated to the Terlingua medics

The first CASI membership ($3) was sold by Ann Angel. Ron Charlton was Life Member #1.

Dr. Ray Calhoun authored the “Yellow Book” about competition cooking.

Doris Kitterman Coats was the first "human" GP of the Dallas Pod, before Doris...Denna the Chimp has held the office of Great Pepper of the original Dallas Pod.

What is a group of chiliheads called? A "stagger". This term was coined by Gary Thompson of El Paso in 1977 or 1978.

Richard Knight was the first person to maintain the TallyMaster reports on a computer......a Commodore 64.

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