The Collins Story
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Hope you caught Michael's program at the Heritage Center this week speaking about his father. If not, we taped it and should have the video available soon. We'll let you know. ... See MoreSee Less
7 days ago ·
The Story in the Cards part VII. Four more mini-bios taken from the QSL (post)cards sent to Arthur Collins and preserved by his son, Michael.
Matthew Gelardi (1905-1958) (1CCX/W5CCX/W3CCX) was a year out of Revere H.S. in MA when he DX'd Arthur on July 7, 1925. He had been a licensed ham since 1920 and stayed a radioman for life. Matt was born "Matteo," the eldest son of Guisseppi Gelardi a candy maker who had immigrated to this country with his parents when he was two. Matt worked as a foreman in a Revere, MA radio factory in 1930, still living with his parents. 2+ years as a test engineer followed and 7+ years as a radio & sound engineer. He joined the Naval Reserve c.a. 1934, serving in a radio branch in the 1st Naval District. The 1940 Census records him still living at home with his mother, now widowed, and siblings. He was called up for active duty in May 1941. After 3+ years at the Naval Aircraft Factory, in Philadelphia, renamed the Naval Air Material Center (NAMC), he was transferred to the Naval Aircraft Modification Unit, Johnsville as Leading Chief of the Radio and Radar Lab in July, 1944, where he served until he was discharged in early 1947. In Aug. 1947 the Secretary of the Navy formed the Aeronautical Electronic and Electrical Laboratory (AEEL) in Johnsvile and Gelardi returned as a civilian employee working as an Electronics Engineer in the Electronics Section, Pilotless Aircraft Development Lab, developing the Navy's early drone aircraft. He stayed at AEEL until his untimely death in 1958, with the exception of Oct. 1950 to Mar. 1952, when he was recalled to active duty. Most of the work at AEEL is classified. He was survived by his wife, Carmen. See him at FAG memorial ##20517907
Martin E. Solotar (1902-1977) (2CYX/W2KC) was born in Russia; he immigrated to the U.S. in 1907 with his parents and two brothers. As Ellis Island officials were wont to do, they "Americanized" the family surname from Zolotarevsky. The senior Solatar entered the family business, tailoring, and they all quickly became Americans. The eldest son, "Mert," per the 1910 census (age 12) became Max, Isidor,"Ed," and Moses, "Martin." A younger brother, George, was born a year after they arrived in NYC. Max died falling from a ladder at work in 1917. Martin followed his father into the clothing business when he got older and became a furrier salesman. Sports were important in the boys' lives and Martin was a starter on the Bronx "Clayton Five" basketball team c.a. 1919-1920, joined by George and Edward, who later became a noted swim coach amd member of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Ham radio was a serious hobby also and Martin stayed a lifelong enthusiast. He was secreteary of the Bronx Radio Club in 1925 when he reached Arthur; ten years later he made headlines using a Collins transmitter to reach Australia. (Adelaide Australia Advertiser; November 6, 1937) He joined the Naval Reserve c.a. 1936, and was called up in June, 1941. He served in WWII aboard the USS Cabot, an aircraft carrier that participated in nearly every major Pacific battle. He was released in June,1949 with the rank of Commander. He married Sylvia (Silverblatt) in Philadelphia in 1945 and they had two daughters. He died in Huntingdon Valley, PA in May, 1977. See him at Find a Grave memorial # 172090651
Nicholas Fiore (1903-1983) (1BIE/W9YQP), born "Nicholino," was the eldest son of Vincenzo and Anna Fiore, Italian immigrants who owned and operated a shoe-shine shop in Providence, RI. Nicholas secured his radio license in 1921 and remained a ham radio enthusiast for over 50 years. Fiore married in 1932 (Mary Pellettiere) and worked as an engineer in Boston at WMEX radio before moving to Chicago c.a 1935 and finding work as a sound and electrical engineer in a movie theatre. He was a member of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The family later moved to Bloomington, IL where Nick and Mary raised their two children (Andrew & Mary Ann). He became a member of the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA). An amusing news note appears in Popular Electronics; June, 1960 (p. 108) wherein Mary reports her husband coming in "loud and clear" through the front burner of her kitchen range whenever she cooked . . . explain that! They retired and moved to CA in 1972 to live near their son who worked at North Amerian Aviation (i.e. Rockwell International ) as an EE. See Nicholas at Find a Grave memorial # 177565471.
Walfred Leonard Olson (1903-1974) (1AXI/1ABI/W1NJ) is listed as "Olsson" in the 1920 Federal Radio Registry, and holding 1ABI in Chelmsford, MA. He's listed in 1921 again as "Olsson," but with 1AXI; same location, and; as "Olson" in 1927-28 with W1NJ in Lowell, MA. His Swedish grandparents, Olaus Persson and Louisa Nilsdotter, had 7 children--the three daughters became "Olsdotters," the sons became "Olssons;" Sven immigrated to the U.S. with his wife and eldest child, Lelia, in 1889 and found work as a stone cutter in a quarry. The family home, on School Street, may be a coincidence, or it may be an indication of the expectations Sven had for his son and dotter. Lelia became a nurse, Walfred, a "radio expert" already in 1923 per the street directory. He attended the Massachusetts Radio School in Boston and was said to operate one of the best ham radio sets in the community, capable of sending and receiving anywhere within 1,500 miles by CW(Morse key). He was a charter member of the Lowell Radio Club. For Walfred, radio was a catalyst for enjoying his true passion--sports. Until home radios and AM stations became widespread in the mid-1920's the Olson home was a mecca for local sports fans, and Walfred hosted large audiences following his narration of the play-by-play of the World Series, heavy-weight championship fights and important tennis matches as relayed by the ARRL. He married in 1927, Margaret Breckinridge, a newspaper proofreader in Lowell, MA. He is still recorded as a radio store "radio expert" in the 1930 census; a radio repairman in 1940. . . still in the family home on School St. His obituary says only that he was a landscape gardener and enjoyed fishing and hunting. They had no children. See him at Find a Grave memorial # 18158144. More next week. ... See MoreSee Less
7 days ago ·
The Story in the Cards part VI. Four more mini-bios based on the QSL (post)cards sent to Arthur Collins c.a. 1925 and preserved by his son, Michael.
Julio Prieto Rodriguez (1890-1962) (1AA/XE1AA) was a pioneer ham radio operator in Mexico. He reached Arthur from his home in the Tacubaya neighborhood of Mexico City where he worked as a mechanical engineer at the National Astronomical Observatory, responsible for maintaining the pendulum, clocks and telescope. Julio's father was a mining engineer, and all four of his sons followed him into engineering in some fashion; Julio was the youngest. He became involved in radio-telegraphy at an early age, and with his brothers joined the Mexican Revolution in 1914. He served as a Captain on the staff of General Felipe Angeles, responsible for radio operations for the Division. He fought in the Battle of Zacatecas, a key step toward winning the revolution. Afterward, Prieto went to work at the Observatory. He was a master mechanical engineer and his home workshop had the best tools. He fabricated all the parts he needed for the observatory and his personal radios and automobiles. Julio built the first experimental radio station in Mexico, 1AA, later designated XE1AA, with which he established communication with Arthur, Australia and many other far away places. In 1932 he helped found the Mexican Society of Radio Experimentadores, serving as President. He married Consuelo Lozano Eppen, whom he met at the Observatory; they had three children. He had three more children with Carmen Espino.
Walter H. Grove, Jr. (1908-1986) (2BZJ) was a life-long ham radio enthusiast who got his license at age 14. He grew up in Farmingdale, NJ. Walt, Sr. was the VP of Farmingdale National Bank and owner of a local feed company. Walter reached Art on June 2, 1925. He had just graduated from H.S. and was preparing to start at the Bliss Electrical School in Takoma Park, Washington D.C., a top school for electrical engineers. After finishing his EE degree he went to work for GE in Pittsfield, MA. In Oct. 1927 he married Elizabeth (Smock). They returned to NJ in 1929 and Walt started his own radio and electric sales and service shop. He worked as a draftsman for the NJ Bell Telephone Co. during the Depression. He joined the Naval Reserve as a radioman in 1935 and was called to active duty in July, 1941, and commissioned in 1942. He became the Assistant Director of the Naval Radioman's School at Bainbridge, MD. After his release from active duty he returned to NJ Bell where he resumed his 25+ year-career as an engineering assistant. He stayed active in the USN Reserves and organized and commanded a Naval Reserve radio/electronic warefare company at the Earle Ammunition Deport aimed at offering continuing training to Navy radio and radar veterans, opportunities for advancement and service in national emergencies. They had two children. See him at Find a Grave Memorial #95741117.
Bruce Boyd (1908-1992) (1PY) was a 17 year-old Junior at Springfield Technical High School in Springfield, MA when he reached Arthur on April 20, 1925. He had been practicing for only 16 months, but was already making local headlines with "history making" radio contacts in Europe, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. After graduating he attended Springfield Junior College for a year to study engineering,then he went to work in the giant Westinghouse plant in town as a technician on the radio line. He worked there for ten years and then enrolled at the prestigous Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Other notable WPI alumni include rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard and radio manufacturer A. Atwater Kent. Boyd joind the school radio club and the student branch of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers. He finished his EE degree in 1940 and married Marion Louise (Newton) in the autumn. He returned to Westinghouse at the Baltimore plant where he worked as an electrical engineer until retirement. He and Louise had two children. See him at Find a Grave memorial #193316016.
The Columbus, OH station of Frank E. Wesley (no call number) looks to have been unlicensed when Arthur tuned him in on Christmas day, 1925. There's no sign of him in the Federal Radio Service registry or any indication he stayed with the hobby long. That leaves a tad of doubt about his identity, but it was probably 15 year-old Frank Jr. (1910-2000), and not Frank, Sr. (1884-1965). The elder Wesley was an employee of the Ohio Bell Telephone Co. He worked there for nearly 50 years, mostly in management positions. Frank, Jr. was in 9th grade at the time. He went on to attend Ohio State (Class of '32) where he studied architectural engineering and was a member of Alpha Rho Chi (APX), a national fraternity for architecture students and related fields. Membership is life-long and the APX Alumni Association supports continuing professional development. Wesley served in the US Army in WWII, earning the rank of Captain. After the war he worked for and later managed Mulligan & Case Co., a general contracting firm in Columbus. He remained active in APX, serving as President of the Ohio State APX Alumni Association and a Deputy on the APX National Grand Council. He lived in the same house his whole life and never married. See Frank Jr. at Find a Grave memorial # 202402805. ... See MoreSee Less
2 weeks ago ·