{"id":17,"date":"2015-10-20T17:25:07","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T21:25:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2024-11-04T19:31:54","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T00:31:54","slug":"club-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/club-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Club History"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Association Between Football, Telegraphy, and Broadcasting at the University of Michigan
\n<\/strong>Provided by the University of Michigan Amateur Radio Club; W8UM<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Picture<\/a><\/p>\n

In 1903, radio, television, or methods to amplify a telephone conversation did not exist and
\ncommunication across distances depending primarily upon the use of telegraphy.<\/p>\n

On October 31, 1903, the University of Michigan Football Team traveled to Minnesota to
\nplay the Gophers. Both teams were undefeated and competing for the \u201cChampion of the West\u201d
\nTrophy. Fielding Yost, concerned that the Gophers would \u201cprovide\u201d contaminated water, had his
\nequipment manager, Tommy Roberts, purchase a 5-gallon jug and fill the jug with water.<\/p>\n

The game ended in a 6-6 tie with Minnesota scoring during the final seconds. Yost, in a hurry
\nto catch the train to Chicago accidently left the jug behind on the playing field. Later, when Yost
\ninquired about the jug, Minnesota is claimed to have said \u201cif you want it, you\u2019ll have to come up and
\nwin it\u201d. Six years later Michigan returned, beating the Gophers 15 to 6, and took back its jug.<\/p>\n

Floyd \u201cJack\u201d Mattice, an University of Michigan Law student, recognized the importance of
\nthis game. Jack, who had experience as a telegraph operator, traveled to Minnesota to telegraph
\nthe play-by-play, of the game, to the telegraph operators on campus. Taking turns, these telegraph
\noperators would decode the Jack\u2019s messages and then announced the events of the game to the
\n5000 students seated in University Hall. This event marked the first time that Michigan students
\ncould hear a football game \u201clive\u201d as opposed to reading the events of the game the following day in
\nthe Michigan Daily.<\/p>\n

This October 31, 1903 football game marked the beginnings of \u201csports broadcasting\u201d (Jack
\nMattice as the first football broadcaster) and competition for the \u201cLittle Brown Jug\u201d, the oldest
\ntrophy in college football. Floyd \u201cJack\u201d Mattice would have a successful career as an attorney
\nworking for the United States Justice Department while latter defending Japan in the 1945 Tokyo
\nWar Trials.<\/p>\n

The development of \u201cwireless telegraphy\u201d by Professors Augustus Trowbridge and Henry S.
\nCarhart, at the University of Michigan, has origins dating back to 1898.<\/p>\n

Written by\u00a0John Palmisano, KB8OIS<\/em><\/p>\n

The RME-69 Mystery
\n<\/strong>Pictured below is <\/em>the RME-69, a radio located at W8UM.<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>While researching the history of telegraphy and amateur radio at the University of Michigan, some interesting items have been discovered.\u00a0 The discovery, which I [John Palmisano, KB8OIS] am presenting now, involves the recently restored RME-69 Receiver by members; Ul Balis (N4IYL), Ovide Pomerleau (K8EV) and Steve Sostrom (KB5AW).<\/p>\n

When the RME chassis was removed, initials were visible on several sections of the radio.\u00a0 These initials are; \u201ccb\u201d, \u201cLM\u201d and possibly \u201cVB\u201d\u00a0 (photos below).\u00a0 Several websites explain that those building the RME would initial the sections that they completed.<\/p>\n

The initial \u201ccb\u201d has been identified as belonging to Clint Boyer.\u00a0 To complete the history of this receiver; \u00a0can anyone provide documentation as to the other two initials?<\/p>\n

The second question is; \u00a0how did W8UM come to possess this RME-69 receiver?\u00a0 I have been told that;<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. it may have belonged to Professor Everett \u201cLowell\u201d Kelly and his wife Lillian. Lowell was the Chair of the Psychology Department and also started the Huron Valley Amateur Radio Association (Bus Photo). \u00a0\u00a0Lillian worked in LSA and was well known among the foreign exchange students for sending messages back to their parents using Morse code.\u00a0 Their daughter, Pat, said the bus was parked in their back yard and the last time she saw the receiver was in their garage on Easy Street in Ann Arbor.\"\"Above:\u00a0W8KGG Bus with Dr. Kelly & wife Lillian<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. It may have belonged to Professor John Kraus (W8JK). John was the amateur radio club\u2019s treasurer during the 1930\u2019s and had a station, with a RME-69, in Tappan Hall.\u00a0 John later took a faculty position at Ohio State University where he developed \u201cThe Big Ear\u201d antenna.\"\"<\/a>Above: Dr. John Kraus with Missionary visitor<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Some other explanation?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Below: Picture of the three initials we are trying to identify.<\/em><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    Any assistance in providing documentation into this RME-69 receiver would be greatly appreciated. Please contact John Palmisano, KB8OIS or the club info email if you have any information.<\/p>\n

    The first logbook entry occurred in November xx, 1913. Prior to this date, callsigns had not been assigned
    \nand logbooks were not in use. For decades, this date has been referenced as the \u201cFounding Date\u201d of the
    \ncampus amateur radio club. Further research, at the Bentley Historical Library, (university news articles,
    \nfaculty files, university regents\u2019 meetings and local newspapers), has led to speculation that both \u201cwired\u201d
    \nand \u201cwireless\u201d telegraphy has orgins that pre-date 1899.<\/p>\n

    People in Club History<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Original Pioneers of \u201cWireless Communications\u201d at the University of Michigan: 1898<\/strong>
    \nProfessor Augustus Trowbridge
    \nProfessor Karl E. Guthe
    \nProfessor H. S. Carhart
    \nProfessor B. F. Bailey
    \nProfessor R. D. Parker<\/p>\n

    \n

    Original \u201cPaid\u201d Wireless Operators<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1909
    \nS. Sheppard<\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1912
    \nFelix J. Watts<\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1913
    \nN. Burglund
    \nFelix J. Watts<\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1914
    \nDudley A. Nichols\u00a0 (DA)
    \nJesse B. Proper\u00a0 (P)
    \nGuy R. Cowing\u00a0 (GR)<\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1915
    \nDean A. Lewis, resigned February 1, 1917\u00a0 (WAR)
    \nLester M. Ilgenfritz, resigned February 1, 1917\u00a0 (WAR)
    \nRobert G. Sidnell, (8KS) resigned February 1, 1917\u00a0\u00a0 (WAR)
    \nSidney E. Anderson, resigned February 1, 1917\u00a0\u00a0 (WAR)
    \nElwin W. Esslinger
    \nRay Hall
    \nElwood A. Windham; special student assistant<\/p>\n

    Date of Hire: 1916 Radio
    \nN. Johnston<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    The Association Between Football, Telegraphy, and Broadcasting at the University of Michigan Provided by the University of Michigan Amateur Radio Club; W8UM In 1903, radio, television, or methods to amplify a telephone conversation did not exist and communication across distances depending primarily upon the use of telegraphy. On October 31, 1903, the University of Michigan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-sc.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-17","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":878,"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/17\/revisions\/878"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/umarc.eecs.umich.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}