BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH


My interest in collecting and restoring old radios began about ten years ago when I restored a Paragon RA-10/DA-2 combination that was given to me some years before by a relative, who almost threw it in the trash while cleaning out his parents belongings. He knew I was a ham radio operator and though I might be able to use it for parts. Needless to say I am glad he made the decision not to toss it. At the time I knew nothing about old radios other than they were old. I stored the set in the attic for some years, and then one day while searching for something else, I ran across the old set and decided to see what it would look like fixed up. After removing pounds of mud dobber nest, cleaning up the Bakelite panels and refinishing the wood cases, it look really good and I was hooked. I immediately started looking for other radios to restore, and the rest is history.

My collection spans sets from the 1920's to some transistor sets of the early 1950's, with my main interest being the cathedrals and tombstones of the 1930's. I enjoy both the electrical and cosmetic restoration aspects of the hobby.

An interest in electronics began in high school when I built a three tube regenerative Knight-kit Space Spanner set, which I still have it and it still works. The first few years of my career were spent in the electronics industry and then I transferred to the computer industry with IBM Corporation, where I worked for twenty-five years before retiring in 1992.

Most of my time is spent working on vintage sets, mostly for others (can't seem to get around to mine anymore), teaching computer night classes for adults at the local high school, and doing some computer consulting.

Virginia, my wife of thirty-six years, also retired from IBM in 1992 and is now teaching English and Literature at the high school. She is very supportive of my collecting hobby and can usually spot an old radio at a flea market before I can. She even has her favorites among my collection.

Right after starting to collect and restore old radios, I joined the Vintage Radio & Phonograph Society, Inc., of Irving, Texas, where I now serve on the Board of Directors.


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