The 1942 Mothers\u2019 Club scrapbook includes a school newspaper article about the beginnings of the Radio Club which states, \u201cThe initial lecture of a series of experiments and lectures designed to equip seniors and all members of the student body who have reached their eighteenth birthday with the fundamentals of radio and other standard army communications was given . . . at the Science Academy.\u201d The Academy sponsored the course taught by parent Mr. Spetter who had taught in an Army Camp.<\/p>\n
In 1950 Fr. Julius May, S. J., an avid Ham radio operator, set up his station on the 4th floor of the school building. He hoped to start an amateur ham club at Jesuit for the students (The Roundup April 1950).<\/p>\n
The Last Roundup 1954 reported that a Radio Club had been established in February 1954 under the supervision of Mr. W. E. Underhill, S. J. (The November 1955 Roundup states the club\u2019s founding as 1953.) The club has \u201ca twofold function: first, instruction of the members in the fields of radio and electronics, and second, supervision of each student\u2019s constructing his own set.\u201d The club conducted both code and theory classes.<\/p>\n
The club instructed its members \u201cin the fundamentals\u2014Morse code, necessary because until a special license is obtained, all conversation must be in Morse and the numerous intricacies of the radio equipment.\u201d The club had its own station, \u201cbuilt entirely by its members, with which contact has been established with other \u2018ham\u2019 in various parts of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n
All students had obtained a novice license at minimum. The November 1954 Roundup reported that, per the club\u2019s constitution, a member remained probationary until this was accomplished. The members toured \u201cthe transmitting section of the WFAA television station\u201d and planned additional trips. The club planned to issue information bulletins to the students, to \u201crejuvena[te]\u201d a tesla coil belonging to Sam Lomomaco, and to construct a \u201csimilar tesla coil on a larger scale.\u201d The group planned a demonstration for the student body at the third quarter assembly. \u201cAnother project for the future will be the repairing of the physics lab\u2019s Van de Grant generator.\u201d<\/p>\n
In November 1955 The Roundup reports that the increasing membership bought textbooks and planned to purchase educational electronic kits. A second project proposed accepting the invitation to visit a Sylvania plant in Oklahoma. Finally, the group planned to make a \u201csimple, yet useful, electronic computer.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 1955 Last Roundup reported that the club \u201chas added to their 60 watt transmitter and other instruments, a donated 300 watt transmitter and a repaired 12 watt transmitter. Also, besides the stations which the members themselves have assembled, the JRC has constructed a Tesla coil, a very high-power, high-frequency transmitter used for demonstration purposes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 1956 Last Roundup reports the club had assembled \u201celectronic equipment for Fr. May\u2019s science lab. . . . The organization received and repaired three television sets for standard use. . . . A dilapidated tape recorder was expertly reconditioned and sold. [In addition}, an all-purpose power supply was made by the members for their use. And now they are working on a \u2018solar battery,\u2019 (a device which uses the sun as a source of electricity). They intend to power a transistor radio when the battery is perfected.\u201d<\/p>\n
The January 1957 Roundup reports that the club, under the leadership of Mr. W. Wolcott, S. J., sacrificed \u201ctheir time on Saturday and after school . . . to increase the efficiency of the school and to ease the work of the teachers and students.\u201d They built the intercom system for the theater, put in new speakers for Father Kammer’s and Father Rivoire\u2019s offices, and repaired the school\u2019s public address system.<\/p>\n
In addition, the group held a picnic honoring Fr. May, S. J. and held their annual Christmas party in the gym. At the party, \u201cthe members watched television on the Club\u2019s experimental set . . . [and] went down to the Radio Room and made two contacts on the transmitter with people in Ohio.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of the important accomplishments of the club was the \u201ccode classes at the beginning of the year, held so that the candidates, becoming proficient in the use of Morse code, could obtain their amateur licenses.\u201d<\/p>\n
The January 1957 Roundup describes the process of meeting FCC regulations for various licenses and invites students to join the club and move through the process.<\/p>\n
The December 20, 1957 Roundup reports that the Radio Club is now a major school organization and \u201cable to fulfill its purpose\u2014 to give its members an intelligent understanding of radio electronics in general, and to stir their interests so they will either take up electronics in college or will keep it as a hobby.\u201d Fr. Allen and Mr. Selgas directed the club and set the club to work repairing radios. \u201cBesides greatly helping the candidates increase their knowledge of the radio, it proves to be a small income which helps to offset the cost of new testing equipment, etc.\u201d All choose their own assignments ranging from new transistor radios to large amplifiers. \u201cSome are even trying to construct such things as color organs, instruments which react to the frequency of sound by flashing a certain light. . . . \u201cTransmitting . . . always has been an important part of the Radio Club. Candidates are taught the Morse code and some basic electronics so that they can receive their novice license and get on the air as soon as possible.\u201d The club continued to tour electronics plants such as the Collins Radio Company.<\/p>\n
The April 16, 1957 Roundup reports that the Radio Club installed an intercom system for the Jesuit residence. They installed loudspeakers \u201cat each entrance to the faculty residence.\u201d The Jesuits \u201cwho have rooms on the second and third floors . . . saves them countless steps\u201d up and down the stairs. The club strung five hundred feet of wire and connected two master and six remote stations. This \u201crequired drilling holes through two floors, through walls, brick, concrete, and assorted other impediments.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 1957 Roundup reports that the Radio Club purchased two klystrons and experimented \u201cin the microwave region; and with the use of a new 600 watt transmitter club members have been broadcasting in the amateur VHF bands.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 1958 Last Roundup notes that the \u201cpurpose of the Jesuit Radio Club is to educate its members in the theory of electronics and in the operation of electronic instruments so that they may have many hours of enjoyment while giving service to their fellowmen and greater honor and glory to God. . . . The club has a large amount of equipment worth nearly $2,000. It ranges from a 12 watt transmitter to a 1000 watt transmitter to an extensive library including a complete set of electronic magazines dating back over thirty years. In keeping with the service to their fellowmen the Club has installed and maintained much of the school\u2019s electrical equipment. These services range from the installation of lights and intercoms to maintenance of the school\u2019s 185 watt amplifier and setting it up for most of the school functions. Some members have been a great help to Father May\u2019s physics class and his Electronics Seminar. In May the Club participated in the Dallas Student Crafts Fair of over 4500 exhibits. The Club\u2019s Tesla Coil won a First Award and an Outstanding Award.\u201d<\/p>\n
No information is reported on the Radio Club in documents for many years. However, interestingly, the February 21, 1975 Roundup reported the Radio Club as a new club. The seven member Radio Club was moderated by Mr. Ed Gross, S. J. and had eight radios. \u201cThe club has three members of Dallas County R. E. A. C. T. (Radio Emergency Associated Citizens\u2019 Teams) servicing motorists, reporting and relaying accidents and other local emergencies to the police or other authorities, and monitoring the emergency channel. . . . The present Radio Club is different from its counterpart of some years back. The old Radio Club was in Ham operations, whereas the present club is into C. B. (Citizens\u2019 Band) activities. Also the club has had a new antenna installed, and has shifted its accommodations to the opposite side of the school.\u201d<\/p>\n
No further coverage of the Radio Club continued.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 1942 Mothers\u2019 Club scrapbook includes a school newspaper article about the beginnings of the Radio Club which states, \u201cThe initial lecture of a series of experiments and lectures designed to equip seniors and all members of the student body who have reached their eighteenth birthday with the fundamentals of radio and other standard army […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2433,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history-of"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n