100th Anniversary Jubilee Yearbook

A Message From The President of the Radio Club of America When I began to write my comments for inclusion in the Radio Club of America’s 100th Anniversary Yearbook, I pondered those made by my friend, mentor and predecessor Fred Link upon the 75th anniversary of our Club (and may I note that Fred Link referred to us as the “World’s First Communications Society” in his preface). Fred recapped the previous 25 years and commented on the good health of the Radio Club. He also reflected on a period when the Club “was beset with problems.” The problems he noted primarily were financial, as the Club’s “finances were almost non-existent,” and he was pleased to tell the readers that the Club’s “staunch supporters” provided the resources to make the Club solvent. Well, I am very pleased to say that, even during these trying financial circumstances, the Club not only is solvent but it also is growing in size -- and it maintains its stature in the communications community. Twenty-five years ago, Fred commented on the recently formed Grants-In-Aid program and that it had grown to $74,600. I now am happy to say that program’s funding now is many times larger and growing, due to the generosity of our members, and myriad associations and corporations. To say that things have changed in the past 25 years is an understatement. The Diamond Jubilee Yearbook was dedicated to “The Spirit of Good Fellowship and the Free Interchange of Ideas Among All Radio Enthusiasts.” Our recently adopted tagline says “Honoring the Past, Committed to the Future.” Some individuals numbered among our membership have devoted themselves to the task of preserving the history of the Club, its members and RF communications by documenting our history. Others assist by maintaining collections of documents and historic artifacts to teach present and future individuals about the rich history of radio communications. We continue to do our best to document the history of radio communications, including Land Mobile Radio (including Public Safety), Broadcast, Cellular, Amateur Radio and any other use of radio frequency (RF) propagation. It is amusing to note that the term “wireless” that was deemed old-fashioned and out of date many years ago has resurfaced as the most modern and up-to-date way to define the transfer of information via RF. It also is funny to realize that many people who rely on their