1984 NRA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee: Manipulation, Lies, and Betrayal

In 1984, the National Rifle Association (NRA) Annual Meeting was held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was the first Annual Meeting this correspondent attended. It was characterized by manipulation, lies, and betrayal.

In 1984, this correspondent was a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin. A masters degree in mining engineering was nearing completion. A life membership in the National Rifle Association had been paid off in installments. When informed the annual meeting would be held in Milwaukee, this correspondent, his brother, and a mutual friend, Jim Blair, made plans to attend.

Neal Knox had been booted as head of the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) and off the NRA Board of Directors in 1982, because he was considered too aggressive in defending Second Amendment rights on Capitol Hill. Neal was the first head of the ILA after reformers had taken control of the NRA in what became known as the revolt in 1977, at the annual meeting of that year. He had submitted the motions for the By-Law changes which affected the “revolt”.  Neal had been aggressively recruited by the Executive Vice President, Harlon Carter, in 1977, to head up the ILA. Carter reportedly fired Knox at the request of Senate Majority Leader Robert (Bob) Dole.

Neal and supporters had organized a mini-revolt for the 1984 meeting in Milwaukee. The plan was for the membership to pass resolutions reinstating Knox on the Board of Directors and condemning his removal from the ILA. As a young activist, this correspondent became aware of the plan. Activists in the NRA were not happy with Knox’s removal from the ILA. We planned to do something about it.

During the meeting, it became clear the political winds favored Neal Knox. The person chairing the meeting saw what was happening and put a counter-plan into action. The chair said it appeared this would be a long meeting (The Revolt in Cincinnati had lasted until 4 a.m.). He said it would not be fair to the people who were waiting for the presentation of awards. The chair asked for a motion to suspend the rules, so the awards could be granted before the rest of the business of the meeting was done. He promised the controversial resolutions would be addressed, and the meeting would stay in session as long as it would take to do so.

It was a well-thought-out plan. Instead of a motion to suspend the rules, there could have been a motion to alter the sequence of the agenda. However, the motion to suspend the rules passed in spite of Neal Knox attempting to raise a point of order.

Many of the activists immediately started leaving the hall, in order to obtain a bite to eat. They anticipated a long session, as the Chair had promised. This correspondent, brother, and friend went to a McDonalds less than a block away.  We sat down with another couple of activists. As we were eating, this correspondent noted, under a suspension of the rules, the meeting could theoretically be adjourned before we returned. None of us expected the meeting to be adjourned.

We quickly finished our meal and returned to the convention hall. As we approached it, hundreds of members were streaming out of the doors. We asked what was going on. The meeting is adjourned, we were told. Someone had called for adjournment. The Chair recognized them and immediately asked for a voice vote. After the vote, the Chair claimed the ayes have it and the meeting was adjourned. It was a direct betrayal of the promise of the Chair and the members who had gathered for the meeting. It was this correspondent’s initiation into the Machiavellian internal politics of the NRA.

As the members were leaving, this correspondent spoke briefly with Jeff Knox, Neil’s son. Later, Jeff and this correspondent became colleagues and friends. It is unlikely Jeff would remember the brief exchange from over 40 years ago.

The official account of the Annual Meeting in the American Rifleman did not mention the drama and the betrayal.

This correspondent performed numerous searches on the Internet to find an account of the 1984 Annual Meeting. Conversations with my brother and old friend confirmed the gist of what happened, but not the exact date.  A search of my personal journal from 1984 revealed almost two full pages of entries for May 25, 26, and 27, when the NRA Annual Meeting in Milwaukee occurred. The journal entries are the basis for this article.

Neal Knox started his Hard Corps Report a month after the 1984 Annual Meeting. He remained the foremost proponent of reform within the NRA until his death in 2005. Jeff Knox continues to publish the Hard Corps Report.

This correspondent met Neal Knox a few times and spoke with him occasionally. Neal Knox was a genius at understanding the legislative process and the long-term effects of firearms legislation. Jeff Knox has continued the fight to reform the NRA.

Who would have thought the machinations of a corrupt New York Attorney General would have resulted in the victory of NRA reformers in 2024 and 2025?

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.