At the ARRL Board of Director's meeting this past weekend, the telegraph key that once belonged to Hiram Percy Maxim, W1AW, was returned to ARRL Headquarters. According to ARRL First Vice President Kay Craigie, N3KN, the key had been in the collection of the Antique Wireless Association's Electronic Communication Museum near Rochester, New York for more than 20 years.

Craigie said that the AWA decided to return Maxim's key to the organization he co-founded almost 100 years ago. At the ARRL Atlantic Division Convention in May 2008, the museum's former curator, Ed Gable, K2MP, presented the key to Craigie and Atlantic Division Director Bill Edgar, N3LLR. Craigie and Edgar then presented the key to ARRL President Joel Harrison, W5ZN, and ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ, on Friday, July 18.

"The key will find a prominent place in the League's collection of historical artifacts," Craigie said. "The Old Man's key has come home!"