WILLIAMSBURG — A magician in the Williamsburg chapter of the Society of American Magicians is set to become the 110th national president, a position once held by Harry Houdini.
Michael Heckenberger will be sworn in July 4 in Appleton, Wisconsin — the city where Houdini grew up — marking the 100th anniversary of the legendary magician’s death. Houdini became SAM president in 1917 and held the position until 1926. Four members of Heckenberger’s local chapter, Baker-Temple Assembly 226, will accompany him.
Originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Heckenberger started doing tricks with cards and coins during high school and college. After joining the Air Force, magic took a back seat for the next decade.
In the late 1980s, he moved to Minot, North Dakota, where he served as a B-52 navigator. While stationed there, he met an officer who was also a magician.
“I told him I used to dabble in that stuff and, ‘Could you get me back in?'” Heckenberger said. “He was thrilled to have somebody else interested in magic.”
Heckenberger learned from the officer over the next few years, doing children’s shows and performances for his squadron and a local church.
In 1994, he and his family moved to the Hampton Roads area. In 2007, he joined Baker-Temple Assembly 226, the Society of American Magicians’ Williamsburg chapter. He was elected chapter president in 2009, a position he held for 12 years.
He became deputy of Virginia for the SAM in 2015, then regional vice president five years later. Two years after that, he was asked to consider national leadership — a step he described as a major decision that would eventually place him on a path toward the presidency.
“I was shocked because I’m just an amateur. I love magic, I really do, but I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d be in this kind of a position,” Heckenberger said.
“I get up in the morning, and the first thing I do is pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming because this just doesn’t seem real to me,” he said.
Past national presidents have been willing to offer advice when needed, he said, and SAM operates as a team effort — the organization has prepared him well for the role.
“Magic is a great hobby. I met a lot of great people, and it’s wonderful to perform for people because, let’s face it, life in the real world can be hard, and magic’s a great avenue for escape or a chance to experience something that you don’t see day to day,” Heckenberger said.
