[K6BW] How HAM came about to call Amateur Radio and the operators.

[Z57 Paul at LEP]

A question on my mind that I planned to Google someday effectively.  Thanks.
Paul Claeyssens  AE6UI

-----Original Message-----
From: k6bw-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:k6bw-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On
Behalf Of K6BBQ
Sent: Wednesday, September 14, 2005 12:21 PM
To: Members of the Hamilton Wireless Assn.
Subject: [K6BW] How HAM came about to call Amateur Radio and the operators.

I found this on a Canadian ham club's website. 

I know there are other theories and stories on how the word HAM
ended up being used to refer to operators and Amateur Radio.
This story seems to have some teeth to it because of the source
they mention in it.

73

Rem


http://www.marc.on.ca/marc/hamradio/hr_why_ham.asp


    Why are Radio Amateurs called "HAMS"?

 

/From Florida Skip Magazine - 1959 - Issued - January 2001/

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 that 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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