Participatory Archiving Reveals Radio Club Treasures

Archival work often involves unearthing buried information, but, as with the content it seeks to reveal, the process itself can be shrouded in mystery. The labor that goes into processing special collections is multifaceted. A particularly overlooked aspect of this endeavor is the partnership that exists between archivists and researchers. Whereas archivists are challenged to prioritize access over perfection, researchers are afforded the opportunity to examine materials with greater depth.

One such ongoing collaboration is between the WPI Archives and Special Collections and the WPI Wireless Association, otherwise known as the Radio Club, whose members have been hard at work over the past few years processing an array of materials previously donated to the archives. What began as a shared venture among interested club members soon led to the establishment of a new position: club historian. Aerospace engineering major Paige Rust ’26 is the first person in this role. 

The legacy of the WPI Wireless Association, and its value to both the ham radio community and the campus community, has been long recognized by club members and the wider student body. But recent discoveries from this foray into participatory archiving have further cemented the student organization’s impact. Founded on Oct. 21, 1909, the WPI Wireless Association is the third-oldest college radio club in the United States, behind only Harvard and MIT. Notably, WPI’s was the first radio club with a successful transmission. The group also participated in the first-ever trans-Atlantic radio transmission back in 1921 and was one of the approximately 30 stations to make contact with Paul Godley in Scotland. 

After just a few visits to the archives, Rust was inspired to start a new feature, “WPI-Was,” at the WPI Wireless Association’s general body meetings. This created space for her to share findings from her processing work, such as member spotlights, event recaps, drama and rumors, or other niche topics. “It shows [club members] the value of taking care of history,” she says.

One finding from Rust’s research even facilitated external connections to WPI. Last fall, undergraduate students from a Holy Cross history course, “Asian American Experience,” visited the archives seeking information about two WPI alumni, brothers Luther and Stanley Chin. They were members of the first Chinese family to settle in Worcester. Rust discovered that Stanley served as vice president of the Radio Club for two years. She even came across a photograph of him previously unknown to the archives, buried within the WPI Wireless Association papers. Her findings led to the portrait’s reproduction and inclusion in an exhibit at the Worcester Historical Museum, co-curated by Holy Cross Assistant Professor Ke Ren and students from his class. 

The partnership has already led to the collection’s improved description and discoverability and is emblematic of the opportunity inherent to community-driven or participatory archiving. “We’ve known the biggest accomplishments of the club for a long time, but only since I began working in the archives have we been able to humanize those who contributed to these accomplishments,” Rust says. Those of us who work in the archives look forward to continuing this collaboration and developing new relationships with other student and community researchers.