Hiram P. Maxim Dies
May 1936 Radio-Craft

February 1933 Radio-Craft [Table of Contents] Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Radio-Craft, published 1929 - 1953. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Hiram Percy Maxim is a name known to every American licensed amateur radio operator, since he was the primary founder of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). This obituary that was printed in the May 1936 edition of Radio-Craft magazine reported on his death at age 66 (the article incorrectly says 67 years old) - young by today's standards, but about normal a century ago. Although he lived in Connecticut, he was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery, located in Hagerstown, Maryland. A few years ago, Melanie and I were visiting her mother, who lived in Hagerstown (we once lived there as well), and set out to locate his place of final rest. I wrote about in this story titled "Hiram Percy Maxim's Gravesite in Hagerstown, Maryland."

Born:  September 2, 1869, Brooklyn, New York

Died:  February 17, 1936, La Junta, Colorado

Alma Mater:  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1886)

Hiram P. Maxim Dies

Hiram Percy Maxim (left) - the friend of radio amateurs who died last month.

Last month, one of the best known and respected radio men passed away; Hiram Percy Maxim, 67-year-old president of the American Radio Relay League and the International Amateur Radio Union, succumbed to a throat infection, on a trip to the West Coast.

Mr. Maxim besides being a strong supporter of amateurs was also known for his inventions, especially the silencers used on fire arms, motors, etc.

One of his guiding beliefs was that the scientific progress of the world depends on its amateurs - those who experiment "for the fun of it" and whom he (rightly) credited with many basic developments.

Mr. Maxim will long be missed by the American radio amateurs who looked to him for support in maintaining their rights.

Posted September 9, 2022
(updated from original post on 4/15/2015)