[KYHAM] Re: Yet another reason for "Ham"...

[Gary Pearce KN4AQ]

Origin of the term "HAM"?  H-A-M station story debunked:

>We've heard a lot about where "Ham" (for example: "Ham"- Fisted CW) came
>from, well here's another one to add to the reasons:
>
>I found this one at:
>http://www.larc.on.ca/shtml/about_ham.shtml
>
>...the word ham was applied in 1908 and was the call letters of one of the 
>first amateur wireless stations operated by some of the members of the 
>Harvard Radio Club.  You can find the whole story in the Congressional 
>Record....

You probably can't find any of the story there.  But you can find this 
otherwise heartwarming and often repeated story debunked on the current web 
site for the Harvard Wireless Club, which repeats the story, and adds:

>Note: This legend has been published and told by word-of-mouth countless 
>times over the past 90 years. Unfortunately, "it isn't so." HWC members 
>researched this story, even obtaining the copy of the Congressional Record 
>for the date in question. We could find no record of Mr. Hyman appearing 
>before congress. We have to admit, though, it's a very entertaining story!

http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~w1af/hamorigin.html

The term "ham" has been around since wired telegraphy in the mid 1800's, 
referring to new (possibly "ham-fisted" or "ham for a fist") 
operators.  Just about everything else about how it came to be adapted to 
Amateur Radio operators is speculation.  The ARRL web site has some of that 
speculation at:

http://www.arrl.org/tis/info/history.html

73,
Gary KN4AQ


+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Gary Pearce KN4AQ
Editor, Repeater Journal
SouthEastern Repeater Association
116 Waterfall Ct.
Cary, NC 27513
919-380-9944
kn4aq@sera.org
www.sera.org