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       #Post#: 15--------------------------------------------------
       The Question today is "WHY ARE WE CALLED HAMS" ??
   DIR By: K4KGP
       Date: September 30, 2020, 9:31 am
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       Why radio amateurs are called "HAMS"
       (from Florida Skip Magazine - 1959)
       Have you ever wondered why radio amateurs are called "HAMS?"
       Well, it goes like this: The word "HAM" as applied to 1908 was
       the station CALL of the first amateur wireless stations operated
       by some amateurs of the Harvard Radio Club. They were ALBERT S.
       HYMAN, BOB ALMY and POOGIE MURRAY.
       At first they called their station "HYMAN-ALMY-MURRAY". Tapping
       out such a long name in code soon became tiresome and called for
       a revision. They changed it to "HY-AL-MU," using the first two
       letters of each of their names. Early in 1901 some confusion
       resulted between signals from amateur wireless station "HYALMU"
       and a Mexican ship named "HYALMO." They then decided to use only
       the first letter of each name, and the station CALL became
       "HAM."
       In the early pioneer days of unregulated radio amateur operators
       picked their own frequency and call-letters. Then, as now, some
       amateurs had better signals than commercial stations. The
       resulting interference came to the attention of congressional
       committees in Washington and Congress gave much time to proposed
       legislation designed to critically limit amateur radio 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 with the thesis is that he asked HYMAN to appear
       before the committee. ALBERT HYMAN took the stand and described
       how the little station was built and almost cried when he told
       the crowded committee room that if the BILL went through that
       they would have to close down the station because they could not
       afford the license fees and all the other requirements which the
       BILL imposed on amateur stations.
       Congressional debate began on the WIRELESS REGULATION BILL and
       little station "HAM" became the symbol for all the little
       amateur stations in the country crying to be saved from the
       menace and greed of the big commercial stations who didn't want
       them around. The BILL finally 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.
       Nation-wide publicity associated station ""HAM" with amateur
       radio operators. From that day to this, and probably until the
       end of time in radio an amateur is a "HAM." ;) ;) ;) ;)
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