Play in the Baldwin North American Pairs, Flight A -- a grassroots event that began last summer at the local club level -- began Wednesday before the start of the Spring NABC in Reno.

Qualifiers at the club level advanced to unit competition and those qualifiers advanced to district finals. Three pairs from each district -- more, depending upon attendance -- qualified for the North American final.

Winners will have their names inscribed on the Baldwin Memorial Trophy and will also receive certificates of recognition.

The trophy is presented in memory of Col. Russell J. Baldwin (1889-1969), U.S. Army officer and expert on tournament procedure who was ACBL Honorary Member of the Year in 1943.

Baldwin was active as an organizer from the earliest days of contract bridge. He became a director of the American Bridge League and its treasurer shortly after its founding in 1927. He was a member of the ACBL Laws Commission and primarily responsible for the first Duplicate Code issued in 1935.
Baldwin was active as a tournament director from 1927 until 1941. After service in World War II, he was ACBL business manager from 1946 until 1951.

He was recalled to military serve at the outbreak of the Korean War and retired from the U. S. Army in 1957. He rejoined ACBL in 1958 and was in charge of tournament scheduling until his retirement in 1963.

Previous Winners:
:
1979 Arthur Moore, Eric Robinson
1980 Bob Feller, Jeffrey Hall
1981 Helen Blakey, Robert Blakey
1982 Bill Nuttig, Ivan Scope
1983 John Griscom, Jim Felts
1984 Steve Sion, Harold Stengel
1985 Peter Boyd, Steve Robinson
1986 Drew Cannell, G. Sekhar
1987 Jan Janitschke, Dick Reed
1988 Jan Martel, Chip Martel
1989 David Caslan, Dennis Clerkin
1990 Sidney Lazard, Jack LaNoue
1991 Mark Stein, Boris Baran
1992 Jim Krekorian, Rick Zucker
1993 James Griffin, Kenneth Schutze
1994 James Griffin, Kenneth Schutze
1995 David Berkowitz, Lisa Berkowitz
1996 Marshall Tuly, James Cunningham
1997 Aidan Ballantyne, Gordon McOrmond
1998 Ron Sukoneck, Bill Cole
1999 James Griffin, Kenneth Schutze
2000 Patty Tucker, Kevin Collins
2001 Frank Merblum, Doug Doub
2002 JoAnna Stansby, Lew Stansby
2003 Steve Landen, Michael Zerbini