FROZDA.Y, MARK3Ei' 21, , .1047
Crossley, Amateurs Work
Caliege Radio Station W3YA
"This is the 'Crossley Corporation's'_ .station, W3YA, State Col
lege, Pa.," could very well be the announcement of the college ama
teur station, directed by Gilbert L. Crossley, professor of electrical
engineering.
First licensed in 1912 as Station BXE, the college's amateur sta
tion has been in almost continuous operation since that time, though
for periods of several years it was licensed as a commercial broad
casting station, removing it from
the amateur. class. It was issued
one of the first licenses under the
Federal Licensing Act of 1912
Dales from 1912
The founding of W3YA really
dates back before 1912, to the late
winter and early spring of 1909-10,
when the electrical engineering
department undertook the first ex
perimental and instructional work
in• communication by radio. A few
hundred dollars' worth of equip
ment, including an aerial, was in
stalled in Engineering F, a wooden
building.
In 1912, a severe and destruc
tive sleet storm heavily damaged
telegraph lines of many of the
railways, seriously hampering
train operations. At this time, the
Pennsylvania Railroad, recogniz
ing the need for more dependable
communications, offered to co
operate with the electrical engi
neering department in the devel
opment of radio for industrial use.
P.R.R. Assists
The P.R.R. assisted in procur
ing a steel tower for the station,
and• the task of development was
completed fairly well by 1916-17,
when formal radio courses first
opened at the College.
After noteworthy experiments
carried on between State College
and Harrisburg to determine the
effect of mineral deposits on over
land transmission, BXE was closed
and the equipment sealed during
World War I. Activities in radio
continued, as a Signal Corps offi
cers' training unit was set up.
Thousands of volunteers and
drafted men were trained for
communications work in both Ar
my and• Navy until 1919, when the
station reopened.
Crossley Takes Over
In 1919, Gilbert L. Crossley,
then 'an • undergraduate student
with 'considerable radio experi
ence, took charge of the operation
of the station. He built the first
crude broadcast transmitter for
the station in 1921.
From 1922 to 1932, commercial
broadcasting was carried on, with
a considerable- delay in operations
beiiririink November 1928. Fed
eral • elf.peilinental :restrictions at
that time' returned_ the station to
amatetii Statuk with its license re
newed as "WsIXE - and Technical
Training Sehool license WBYA.
Cothmercial activities were halted
by the Federal Radio Commission
on Attie 22, 1932, because of neces
sary ! equipment changes which
could ; nqt: be .flnanced.
Member of,, System
WBYA-as a member of the Army
Amatetir , Radio- System, on May
21, 1934,:was designated Army Net
Control (ANC) 2, with the call
letters WLMA added. In that ca
pacity, it alternated with WLM - in
the Munitions Building, Washing
ton, D.C. -
During, the disastrous statewide
floods of 1936, contacts were made
with Pittsburgh, Johnstown, Al
toona, Harrisburg, Philadelphia,
Williamsport, and later with Du-
Bois. Official and Red Cross mes
sages from Washington and Bal
timore also were handled. Profess
sor Crossley and eleven student
volunteers maintained a full
watch from Vp.m. March 19, 1936
until 5 a.m. March 22, 1936.
Momentous Flashes
Doubtless the most momentous
Shove s
th
*YOU for
mons!
zs'
THE •DAILY COLUEGIAN, 'STATE COLLEGE, PENI4SYLVANIA
news flashes picked up and re
layed by W3YA were those on the
evening of December 7, 1941 when
the news of Pearl Harbor was
leaking out to a stunned nation.
Soon after the declaration of war,
the college amateur station was
again closed because •of wartime
security restrictions on amateur
stations.
Since the end of fighting, W3YA
is again established as an official
relay station of the Amateur
Radio Relay League network in
western Pennsylvania. The sta
tion, having no assigned frequen
cy, can be picked up on any ama
teur band.
New Members
The group of professors and
townspeople who form the or
ganization will accept interested
new members, the first requisite
for admittance being possession of
an amateur operator's license.
W3YA is continuing its free
service to students, sending radio
grams to friends in any part of
this country, or to Gls overseas.
Any message received by 5 p.m.
will be transmitted the same eve
ning, if it is left at the station on
West College avenue behind the
power plant.
Late AP News
(Continued fro'm page one)
farmers intend to plant slightly
larger acreages than during the
oast two seasons.
Weather Reports
ALASKA—An Army Air . For
ces B-29 has started what are
expected to be routine weather
reports from the top of the world.
No .effort was made to keep the
flight a secret, and ,the plane sent
a weather report from the the
North Pole in uncoded message
available to . , all other nations lis
tening in. The B-29 fie* from
the Army Air Base near Fair
banks, Alaska, and returned to
its field early Tuesday morning.
Sugar Black Market
NEW MEXICO—In Albuquer
que, New Mexico, a federal grand
jury has accused the Doctor Pep
per Comoany and its associates in
the soft drink business of con
spiracy to divert .1,1 1 .50,0150 of ra-
A LARGER ASSORTMENT
OF
WHITMAN (ANDY
KEMP CANDY and
FANCY NUTS
WALLACE CANDIES
[LEAK HAVANA CIGARS
AT
The CORNER
"unusual"
Purple Mood Creator
"The boys overseas during the
war loved wild jazz" said Elliot
Lawrence in an interview for
Time, but now that they are back
in the States they want sweet
music." He added that, "They
just want to put their arm around
the girl friend and romance
slowly."
Lawrence's orchestra, playing
here for the Military Ball on
March 29, -features a symphonic
wind section (bassoon, oboe,
French horn, and English horn
along with a clarinet), which he
calls a "woodwindette."
• "We're trying to get more
classical sounds," he said, "and
that way we get sort of a purple
mood."
tioned sugar into the 'black mar
ket. In Dallas. a spokesman. for
the parent bottling company ex
pressed !complete surprise at the
indictments. •
No Aid for Yugoslavia
WASHiINGTON—Congress was
not the only place in Washington
wher,. there was discussion on
aid to needy foreign nations. The
State 'Department ruled out Yugo
slays from any share in the pend
ing relief appropriation of $350,-
000,000. The State Department al
so refused to let Marshal Tito's
government Ity some 1 1 00 1 ,000 . tons
of grain in this country. 'The rea
sons—lack of acceptable evidence
that Yugoslavia really needs help,
and suspicion that food already
sent has not been distributed ef
ficiently.
Acheson Testifies
WASHINGTON—Acting Secre
tary of State Dean Acheson will
resume his testimony today be
fore the House Foreign . Affairs
Committee on the administration's
proposal to help Greece and Tur- -
key combat communism. Yester
day Adheson predicted that the
Truman plan will not lead to war
with Russia, and he said that aid
Sororities—
(Continued from page three)
turns her preferential ballot to
Mr. Carruthers, he notifies each
fraternity of the girls that have
accepted its invitation. In this
way a girl does not know defi
nitely how many fraternities
have bidden her."
Coeds Vote on "Goincr . National"
When the question of "going
national" can.e tip in 1924, a
questionnaire was submitted to
each coed on the cluib question.
A few of the questions and re
sults follow:
Are girls at State College able
financially to support a sorority?
Yes-38. No-7.1.
Have clubs raised the scholas
tic standards? Yes-89. No-38.
Have clubs raised the moral
standard of the girls? Yes-7.1.
No-46.
Do clubs keep their alumnae in
closer touch with their Alma
Mater? Yes-2;11. No-24.
. The vote taken .among girls to
decide on permanent existence
found 149 in favor, 81 against. An
editorial in the Collegian held
that national fraternities would
give Penn State greater prestige
and respect in collegiate circles.
Chi Omega was the first na
tional in September 1926, and
others soon followed. Panhellenic,
formerly Campus Clubs Council,
was organized October 28, 1980.
Five Cottages Offered'
Five campus cottages were
made available to the clubs in
1928. The clubs chose the houses
in order of th e clubs' founding.
In a letter Dean Ray said, "It
is the of our college to pro
vide either houses or lodges in
the near future for the girls' so
cial clubs and fraternities. Be
cause of the continuous develop
ment of 'buildings planned for
the next few years, it is not pos
sible now to establish any per
rhanent p o i.c y on fraternity
houses."
And sororities are still form
ing. In 1946 Beta Sigma Omicron,.
Delta Delta Delta, ,!:nd Delta Zeta
were organized nationally. Alde
baran is Petitioning Alpha Gam_
ma Delta for national. recogni
tion, and the total 'of sororities on
the campus is now 19.
to the :two countries should not
be considered an extension of,. the
Monroe Doctrine throughout the
world.
Acheson added that , neither
should it ibe assumed that the
same policy will be pursued in
other Countries.
FishburnSaysßanil
Needs New Ouffib
"The band needs uniform:.
They would look more. presenta •
the with new ones," said Hummel
Fishburn, director of music, in an
interview yesterday.
According to Mr. Fishburn, the
uniforms are in bad shape from
disuse rather than use. When the•
uniforms were taken out of star
age last fall, moth holes were
found.
New uniforms can only • be
tamed by a student vote On the
All-College elections ballot to
assess themselves for the amount
If the student body approved
the amount would be added to
the fees.
"I estimate that 50 cents pe!•
student would do it," said Mr.
Fishlburn. "In my • opinion we
don't need new overcoats, which
are the most expensive part. We
need just jackets, trousers, and
hats." •
The director suggested that at
th e same time some sort of rain
jackets be purchased to save the
uniiforms and also the heavy
overcoats are uncorrifortsble on
warm, rainy days.
Debate—
(Continued from page one)
Schools sending delegates to the
convention are Geneva College.
Lehigh University, University o:
Pennsylvania, Westminster Col
lege, Allegheny College, Univer
sity of Pittsburgh, St. Francis Col
lege. Seton Hill College, Dickin
son College.
Slippery Rock State Teachers
College,. Susquehanna University,
Bucknell University, Misericordin
College, Mt. Mercy College, Ship
pensburg State Teachers College,
Temple University, and Washing-.
ton & Jefferson College.
For Your Parties
• CANAPES
Small• 60c per dozen
• CANAPES
Large 80c per dozen
• ASSORTED COOKIES
40c per dozen
• PUNCH
$2.00-62.50 a gallon
ORDER EARLY BY MAIL
March 27—April 14
FRIBA STERN
122 Irvin Ave. Phone 4818
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