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Odds-n-Ends
Vic Clark, W4KFC
There's a photo of Vic Clark in the January 1984 issue of QST with the caption: "At age 19, Vic Clark was already a renowned radio amateur as W6KFC in Phoenix. He won the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award for 1936, the first year it was issued."
That photo appeared in David Sumner's three page "It Seems to Us..." column in that issue. It was devoted to remembering Vic who became a Silent Key the day after Thanksgiving, 1983. At the time, Vic was serving as the President of the American Radio Relay League, Inc., a position he held since March 1982. Prior to that, he held a number of positions within the organization, beginning as the Section Communications Manager for Arizona during 1937-39.
Professionally, Vic was with the Federal Aviation Agency and its predecessor, the CAA, from 1941 to 1962. While with the FAA, he directed the installation of the Instrument Landing System (ILS) at airports the world over. He was director of the U.S. Coast Guard's Electronics Engineering Laboratory in Alexandria, Virginia, until his retirement in 1973.
Vic was first licensed in 1933, and W6KFC became a familiar call to traffic handlers, contesters, and DXers. As the ARRL's President, "he was was probably the most successful salesman of ARRL Life Memberships ever." As our VP, Tim Donovan, wrote in an email recently, "For those of us who were able to kick around with him over the years, we all remember what a treat that was and his persistent push for Life Membership in the ARRL. I did it way back, and just as he said, it was expensive then, but a great bargain over the years." Vic was a member of Chapter 91 for many years.
Vic's W4 call is now held by his son, Kenneth, of Centreville, Virginia.
For more on Vic Clark, see the report of our March 2007 meeting. At this meeting, those members who knew Vic told the rest of us what they remembered about him. Their stories are supplemented with material from other sources.
Founding of Chapter 91
In May 1989, Jack Kelleher W4ZC (SK) wrote a report on Chapter 91's founding and history, a copy of which can be found in the files passed down to successive chapter Secretaries. At the time, he was serving in the second of four years as the chapter's President, as well as a Director of QCWA, Inc.
His report was typed on QCWA, Inc. stationery whose boiler-plate provides the following information:
Quarter Century Wireless Association, Inc. Directors:
1409 Cooper Drive Lew McCoy, W1ICP
Irving, Texas 75061-5527 Leo Myerson, W0GFQ
Esther Given, W6BDE
Officers: Fred Hammond, VE3HC
President: Leland Smith, W5KL El Charlton, W5MD
Vice Pres: Hugh Winter, W5HD Travis Baird, W9VQD
Treasurer: Wes Randles, W4COW Arthur Kay, W5APX
Secretary: Jim Walsh, W7LVN John Kelleher, W4ZC
Stuart Meyer, W3GHK
General Manager: Ted Heithecker, W5EJ Hal Sears, W5NC
Founding of Chapter 91 as the Northern Virginia Chapter 91 of QCWA:
Ten members of QCWA signed the petition requesting a charter for a new chapter. According to Bill Miller K4MM (SK), most of the signers were members of Chapter 23, Washington, DC. Chapter 91 was chartered on 1 October 1975.
After Vic Clark died in November 1983 while serving as the President of the ARRL, Chapter 91 members voted to change the name to the "Vic Clark Chapter."
"The first regular meeting of the chapter was in November 1975. At that time, Bill Grenfell (W4GF) was elected President, J. C. O'Connell (W4LPY) was elected Vice President, Bob Cannon (W4IGO) was elected Secretary, and Ken Joseph (W4SIG) Treasurer. Through 1988 the chapter held 48 meetings."
Chapter Presidents are listed below:
75/76 Bill Grenfell, W4GF
77 Jack Kingman, W4JT
78/79 Bill Miller, K4MM
80/81 Em Mehrling, W4NH
82/83 Leland Smith, Jr. (Buddy), W4YE
84/85 John Swafford, W4HU
86/87 Elmer Jones, K4EUX
88 Jack Kelleher, W4ZC"
"We have had speakers at almost every meeting. Most of these have been chapter members who have had a wealth of experiences to relate. Occasionally there have been speakers from outside the chapter membership, notably government people from the Department of State, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Aeronautics & Space Administration."
"One of our most illustrious members (and a charter member) was Victor C. Clark, W4KFC, who later became President of ARRL. While occupying that office, he died suddenly in 1983. Chapter 91 members voted in February 1984 to change the name of the chapter to the Vic Clark Chapter."
"Our neighboring chapter, Washington Chapter #23 was chartered in 1956 and soon became a sponsor of an annual "Old Timers Banquet" (despite the name, local amateurs of all ages were invited). Chapter 91 became involved soon after it came into being, and Chapters 23 and 91 have cosponsored the event for several years. The 1987 banquet was number 31 in an unbroken series."
"Each year, one or more chapters bid to host the annual QCWA National Convention. Chapter 91 was host for the 1988 convention held in McLean, Virginia."
"Respectfully submitted,
/s/ John J. Kelleher, W4Z
Charter Members of Chapter 91
signed
call sign name QCWA # petition?
W4 HVU Guy M. Blencoe 264
W4 ZM E. B. Redington 345
K4 ZA L. M. Rundlett 629 yes
W4 AO Ross Bateman 853
W4 RL R. C. Peck 947 yes
W4 GF W. S. Grenfell 962
W4 KRG Stephen Paull 1003
W4 TE J. F. Debardeleb 1403
W4 CI H. R. Richman 1934
W4 ALJ Ed Stachura 1979
W2 GHK/4 S. F. Meyer 2039
W4 NFW I. W. Contrad 2485
K4 LMB Ethel Smith 2491
W4 LRD W. M. Getchell 3100 yes
W4 KFC V. C. Clark 3537 yes
W4 LPY J. C. O'Connell 4263
W4 LB G. R. Boardman 4496
W4 FZ E. F. Cook 4771
K4 DC D. C. Kochendarf 4829
W4 CU R. J. Renton 4880
W4 HE C. A. Stay 4890
W4 ST K. L. Olberg 4921 yes
K4 YG W. R. Dunning 5157
W4 YEB C. B. Raybuck 5370
K4 AHS J. E. Nagley 5409
W4 NH E. R. Mehrling 5605
W4 HU J. H. Swafford 5851
W4 UR M. T. Buckelew 5856
W4 ZC J. J. Kelleher 6045
W4 OTN L. J. Nole 6098
W4 OG O. R. Buchanan 6105
K4 MM W. J. Miller 6196
W4 SIG K. L. Joseph 7526
W1 UGX J. L., Ekstrom 7559
W4 MIB W. M. Moran 7650
W4 ILW F. M. Field 7732
K4 OMR R. H. Porter 7836
WA4 KAY Daniel DeFelice 8133
W4 NSP D. S. Parris 8317
W4 ADM J. Robichaud 8731
W4 IGO R. C. Cannon 8953 yes
W4 IIA W. T. McAninch 9107 yes
K4 EUX Elmer Jones 9108 yes
W4 QX J. E. Platt 9249
W4 LQF P. I. Wells 9516
K4 TNB W. C. McKinley 9601 yes
K4 KA Frank Mitchell, 9701
K4 EK Anson Hyde 9928
W4 ZEI J. L. Bennett 10001
K4 FD W. W. Muessig 10056
W4 BEM C. M. Albee 10071
WB4 KRL Paul Duncan 10120
W4 RX J. D. Ahlgren 10393
K4 AW J. H. Mitchell 10409
W4 JT J. P. Kingman 10434
W4 JAT J. I. Trnaman 10460
W4 SLA P. W. Kiefaber 10569
K4 FIC H. W. Jones ???
W7 SAB G. W. Ritchey none yes