Contact: Phil Hearn
William P. Gearhiser
William P. Gearhiser has been an amateur radio operator for nearly 75 years and now, at the age of 92, many believe he may be the oldest active ham in Mississippi.
Gearhiser, who earned bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering from Mississippi State in 1931 and 1932, respectively, received his federal amateur radio operator's license during his freshman year on May 25, 1928.
As the university's superintendent of utilities for 15 years starting in 1960, he also was "keeper of the chimes" for the Carillon Tower at the Chapel of Memories--a duty he performed for years after his 1975 retirement.
The Starkville resident also was a faculty sponsor to the university's W5YD Radio Club for more than 35 years, providing valuable leadership to amateur radio operators on campus. To honor that contribution, current members of the MSU amateur radio club recently designated their Simrall Hall meeting room as the W.P. Gearhiser Ham Radio Club Room during a special dedication ceremony at the site.
There are approximately 3 million ham radio operators throughout the world. Typically adopted as a hobby or for recreation, their efforts also can be helpful in emergency situations. Ham operators must obtain a federal license, use a special vocabulary and adhere to a certain protocol.
"Mr. Gearhiser long has been an asset to this university and the Bagley College of Engineering," said Dean A. Wayne Bennett during a program that attracted both students and faculty. "We are quite fortunate to have an alumnus such as him--one who has always given of his time and talents."
Club president Nicholas Bass, a senior electrical engineering major from Heidelberg, called Gearhiser a "mentor," adding, "I have enjoyed learning from him."
Gearhiser's son, William H. Gearhiser of Boca Raton, Fla., joined his father at the dedication ceremony. Also an MSU alumnus, he received a bachelor's degree in 1969 and a master's in business administration in 1972.
During the ceremony, the elder Gearhiser shared several anecdotes from his early days at MSU, including his climbing of a Scott Field light pole to flip the switch for night football games. He also remembered climbing the campus power plant smokestack to position antennas for radio signals, describing the experience as one he "could not forget, because the bricks at the top were quite loose."
As keeper of the carillon chimes, Gearhiser programmed the music that resounded over the campus daily at noon and 5 p.m. A computer-based program has dictated the chime schedule since January 2002, when the carillon was reinstated after renovations.
Still active in the Starkville and campus radio clubs, Gearhiser said he checks the radio waves twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.