Why an Amateur Radio Operator is called a "HAM"
Have you ever wondered why we radio amateurs are called "HAMS"? Well it
goes like this - the word Ham was applied in 1908 and was the call letters
of one of the first amateur wireless stations operated by some members of
the Harvard Radio Club. They were Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy and Peggy Murray.
At first, they called their station Hyman - Almy - Murray. Tapping out such
a long name in code soon called for a revision and they changed it to HY
- AL - MU, using the first two letters of each name.
Early in 1909, some confusion resulted between
signals from amateur wireless HYALMU and a Mexican ship named HYALMO, so
they decided to use only the first letter of each name and the call became
HAM.
In the early pioneering unregulated days of radio,
amateur operators picked their own frequency and call letters. Then as now,
some amateurs had better signals than some commercial stations. The resulting
interference finally came to the attention of congressional committees in
Washington and they gave much time to proposed legislation designed to critically
limit amateur activity.
In 1911, Albert Hyman chose the controversial Wireless
Regulation Bill as the topic for his thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted
that a copy be sent to Senator David I. Walsh, a member of one of the committees
hearing the bill. The Senator was so impressed, he sent for Hyman to appear
before the committee. He was put on the stand and described how the little
amateur station was built and he almost cried when he told the crowded committee
room that if the bill went through, they would have to close up the station
because they could not afford the license fees and all the other requirements
which were set up in the bill.
The debate started and the little station HAM became
a symbol of all the little amateur stations in the country crying out to
be saved from menace and greed of the big commercial stations who didn't want
them around. Finally, the bill got to the floor of Congress and every speaker
talked about the poor little station "HAM".
That's how it all started. You will find the whole
story in the Congressional Record. Nationwide publicity associated station
HAM with amateurs. From that day to this and probably to the end of time,
in radio, an amateur is a HAM.
Reprinted from Mike and Key, and Florida Skip.
Made available on the internet through the Northern
Ohio Amateur Radio Society
Amatuer Radio isn't just talking .. Amatuer Radio
isn't just morse code ... Amatuer Radio is a fun learning curve where you
can set the pace ... and it is a family oriented hobby ... where the toys
can be built at home ... with or without help from friends ... Communicate
across your hometown, into the next county or state ... another country
and other continents ... Amateur Radio is so much fun words can't describe
it all ... Yes, you can connect your computer to it ... and aim towards a
satellite or the moon ... or use FM packet for local contact ... or contact
an Astronaut inside a space ship ... Amatuer Radio is just as much tinkering
now as it was 60 years ago.