After nearly 6 decades of service to freedom, the Delano California Voice of America was scheduled to be sold for scrap.  Just as happened to the dinosaurs, extinction was eminent.  As a tribute to the legacy of the VoA as the “world’s Voice of Freedom”, the AWA in alliance with the Collins Collectors Association has rescued the station control room and one of the 250,000 watt transmitters for a unique display in the Antique Wireless Museum in Bloomfield, New York.

The Museum, now in its 62^nd year, has an amazing artifact of communication history to display and with it, an awesome responsibility to tell the powerful VoA story of its history and continuing positive impact on freedom throughout our world.  In addition, the VoA display and other Museum improvements will provide enhanced opportunities for AWA to present science related programming via our developing STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) initiatives.

It will cost $404,100 to complete the next phase of the Museum including the new VoA display.

Imagine standing right in the actual VoA station control room, listening to VoA programming and seeing the actual Collins transmitter used by VoA as one of their “Voices of Freedom”.  If you ask a young person under 35 years old, they probably have not heard of the Voice of America and what a major long-term impact it has had in the struggle for freedom since 1942. They do not know that people in many countries risked their very lives to listen to VoA. In the US, we assume freedom of news and public information, but that has not been nor does it continue to be the case in many countries around the world.  Our challenge at the Antique Wireless Museum, therefore, will be to tell the amazing story of the VoA and the Collins Radio people who made the transmitters.  The VoA display at the Museum will provide an outstanding stage in which to tell this fantastic and historically significant story.

What is the Voice of America? 

In essence, the VoA is you speaking your thoughts, words, and suggestions of freedom to the peoples of the world.  President Dwight Eisenhower said the purpose of the VoA “is to submit evidence to the peoples of other nations . . . that the objectives and policies of the United States are in harmony with and will advance their legitimate aspirations for freedom, progress, and peace.”

What is the Antique Wireless Museum?

The Antique Wireless Association and its nearly 2,000 international members sponsor the Antique Wireless Museum dedicated to preserve and share the history of technology used to communicate and entertain from the first telegram to today’s wireless text messaging. These technologies are fundamental to our way of life and their rich history must be preserved and shared.

Can you imagine your life without telegraph, telephone, radio, television, cell phones, or wireless text messaging? 

Hard to imagine?  Impossible?  The ability to communicate electronically defines our society. Our lives would definitely not be same.  Every day we view history being made across the globe in real time.  What we take for granted is world-wide communications and entertainment at our finger tips.

But, what if a relatively few brilliant men had not had dreams of what the future could hold? What if they had not developed new theories, had not tinkered in their labs, had not persevered when others said it would not work, had not risked their fortunes?  Imagine our life today if the best we could hope for is that our letters might arrive in a couple of weeks or months.

The US has a serious challenge facing it. 

Our nation’s children are falling behind the world in math and science test scores.  They are losing interest in the sciences. Based on test scores in math (31^st) and science (23^rd), we are falling behind other developed nations.  Part of the answer lies in sparking students’ interest in the sciences.  The AWA believes it can have a powerful role in presenting history and technology of communications and entertainment in exciting ways that will spark their interest and specifically their interest in the sciences.  The AWA is currently developing STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) related lectures, presentations, and  course materials based on our rich collection of artifacts and archives specifically to introduce and excite students in STEM. 

Through unique exhibits, such as the VoA exhibit, and telling the real-life stories of the inventors who created the technologies so fundamental to our lives, the AWA Museum can make history and the sciences come alive for students.  When completed, the new Museum will have a 60 seat auditorium just sized for two school classes to enjoy, learn and be excited by museum presentations and excited by science.  The AWA recognizes that we are only stewards of our collection of historical artifacts and stories.  We take seriously our responsibilities to be great stewards and to preserve, share and pass on the collection to generations to come.

How will we use your generous donations?

Our members have already donated $150,000 toward the next phase of the development of the enlarged museum including the VoA display estimated to cost $404,100.  We need an additional $254,100.  Phase II expansion of the Museum will build out the next 2,800 square feet of exhibit space and displays in the present Museum building.  The expansion will facilitate many exciting new projects, programs and initiatives which include:

·  Better Utilization of our Museum building

o  Development of the magnificent Voice of America Delano Station display

o  Doubling the floor space dedicated to exhibits and displays

o  More interactive scientific displays for kids of all ages

o  A classroom area for presentations and classes

o  New displays such as telephone, Western Union telegraph station, and more

·  Development of STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics) classes for youth based on the rich history of the technologies preserved and shared at AWA

Our goal is to complete the expansion by August 2015.

How can you help?

1.  You can help by donating to the Antique Wireless Museum.  Our members have already donated $150,000 toward the next phase of the development of the enlarged museum which will include the amazing VoA display.  We need an additional $254,100 to complete the next phase.  Your donations will make this possible.

2.  You can help us get the word out and please make some noise about the campaign. 

Thanks for your help.

For more information.

For more information, please visit the AWA web site at www.antiquewireless.org, the Collins Collectors Association web site at www.collinsradio.org  or the Collins Radio Heritage Group web site at www.collinsradioheritagegroup.org.