MEETS on the first Wednesday of every month.
We would like to see you at a meeting.
At the Emergency Operations Center
On Water Street in Wilkes-Barre at 8:00pm

History of the REVEREND JOSEPH MURGAS
FATHER OF RADIO

REVEREND JOSEPH MURGAS [February 17, 1864 - May 15, 1929]

Sacred Heart School, 607 North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., was built by Reverend Joseph Murgas, a native of Slovakia who came to North Wilkes-Barre in the late 1800's. Gifted in science, art, and linguistics, he devoted his time and energies not only to the spiritual and cultural needs of the hard-working, devout Slovaks who formed the nucleus of his parish, but also to experiments, to his botanical specimens, and to painting. He was also co-founder of the Religious Community of the Sisters of the Saints Cyril and Methodius who staff Sacred Heart School and thirty-eight others.

BOTANIST

As a naturalist, Father Murgas left a unique collection of butterflies and moths, accurately classified. These attracted widespread scientific attention. After his death in 1929, these mounts were donated to various colleges and institutions of learning. He also had a botanical garden of rare specimens adjoining his rectory, and a more extensive one at Sacred Heart Park, in Dallas, Pa.

ARTIST

As an artist, Father Murgas produced religious paintings and portraits. Two large oil paintings --one of the Sacred Heart, and another of the Immaculate Conception-- are still intact on the walls of the Sacred Heart Church.

PRIEST SCIENTIST

Father Murgas pioneered in the field of wireless communications. He experimented with electrical circuits to transmit, or carry sound. His experiments led to the discovery of the radio spark gap, which became a basic device in radio transmissions. Father Murgas' invention was patented in 1905, and tested in 1906, when the mayors of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre exchanged greetings by means of this device.

In a tiny, impoverished laboratory in the rear of the rectory, Father Murgas devised a transmission system of radio signals by means of two musical tones differing in pitch, one tone forming the dot and the other, the dash, in common with the morse code.

In 1904 Father Murgas' first patent for the "Murgas System of Rapid Wireless Telegraphy" was sold to the Universal Aether Co., of Philadelphia, Pa. -- The equivalent of A.T.&T. in that era --

A sum of $18,000 was appropriated to build a 200 foot transmitting tower in North Wilkes-Barre and a similar one in Scranton, 19 miles away, to test the priest-scientist's system. Several prominent men of Wilkes-Barre, as well as a Lt. Robinson of the U.S. Navy, witnessed the first test of the tower in September, 1905.

A series of tests on November 23, 1905, brought Father Murgas' system into the national limelight. Witnessed by representatives of the Federal government, the press, and many others, the tests included an exchange of messages between the Mayors of the two Pennsylvania communities, and were deemed a success in every way.

Father Murgas was called "a man of great creative genius" in a scientific report released after the priest files his first patents. The report cited him for his original and valuable contributions to the development of "the remarkable innovation of transmission by wireless telegraphy." Following the unique November 22 experiment, Harrison J. Smith of the Wilkes-Barre TIMES LEADER reported, Father Murgas went to New York to meet with "two other inventers in Radio Communication who had recently arrived in America --the now-famous Marconi and his associate, Professor Fessenden."

While they were meeting, a gale velocity wind destroyed the transmitting tower near Scranton. Shortly after, Lady Luck turned her back on Father Murgas again. Two prominent members of the Universal Aether Company died, and with this loss of financial support, all work on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton project was abandoned.

Although Father Murgas "never really received the public acclaim to which he was entitled", according to Smith, he did receive the following honors before and after his death:

• The highest award of achievement from his native Slovakia. (Which also named a radio station after him and issued a Commemorative Postage Stamp in his honor.)
• The distinction of having a Liberty ship named after him.
• His appointment by President Calvin Collidge to the National Radio commission.
• He is founder of the Slovak Catholic Federation of America. The federation launched the celebrating of the Centennial Birthday of Father Murgas in February 17, 1964.
• The Voice of America, Radio Free Europe, and other radio communications are currently paying tribute to his efforts in a field that may have seemed alien to a man of the cloth.
• On May 12, 1963 a monument was unveiled in memory of Father Murgas near the Sacred Heart Church, 601 North Main Street, Wilkes-Barre which he built and where he labored zealously for thirty-five years.
• The MURGAS Amateur Radio Club proudly displays the use of his name.

REVEREND JOSEPH MURGAS (February 17, 1864 - May 15, 1929)

In November, 1975 the Murgas Amateur radio club was formed and on November 23rd, 1975 the club conducted a demonstration of amateur radio in observance of the 70th anniversary of the Rev. Joseph Murgas' public demonstration of his tone system of wireless telegraphy. The sites chosen for this observance were at the Sacred Heart School Auditorium and the Sheraton Hotel in Scranton.

The Murgas Radio Club is active in many events:

• January VHF QSO Party
• June VHF QSO Party
• September VHF QSO Party
• Field Day
• Local Ham Fest in July
• The Pa QSO Party
• Many local sponsored activities.

The public is invited to attend the Monthly meeting of the Club, at the Emergency Operations Center, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., at 8:00 pm on the first Wednesday of the month. You don't need to be a member to attend; In fact, you don't even need to be a radio amateur. So if you get a chance, attend one of the meetings. A business section and a program are included.

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