Jack Martini's Journals

Sept. 17, 1970

Frank began his telegraphy career at age twelve by learning Continental Morse by hanging around railroad telegraphers at his hometown railroad station. In 1912, there were thousands of railroad telegraphers available which gave young Frank ample opportunities to learn his future craft. Eventually, at age sixteen, Frank worked his way into a railroad telegrapher's position, and it appeared he would stay in the landline Morse field indefinitely.

However, FG became acquainted with several maritime radio officers, and the adventure and excitement of a sea career enticed him away from his land based telegraph job. So, at age seventeen, he attempted to obtain a telegraph license. But Frank soon learned that one had to be eighteen years old to qualify for the license. He then decided to lie about his age and take the federal examination anyway. He passed and soon thereafter applied for work aboard a merchant vessel.

As a neophyte telegrapher, Frank was assigned by the steamship companies the most unattractive vessels that required a radioman. This was a standard practice as the older, more experienced telegraphers would not sign on old rusty tramp ships or schooners. But as a novice beginning a new career, Frank signed on anything that floated. Thus, Frank began his marine telegraphy career. He sailed on barges, steam schooners and tramp freighters that plied up and down the U.S. West Coast carrying lumber, oil and general cargoes. He was involved in several distress situations, and once, one of his ships went aground on the Columbia River Bar requiring Frank to send an SOS.

FG sailed the Pacific Coast range until 1926 at which time he decided that the life of a sailor was not for him. It was then that the future manager of KPH came ashore to work in that station at Marshal California. So began the coast station career of a man destined to become one of the most widely known and respected individuals in the marine radio telegraphy business. The type of man Frank Geisel was and is is an important issue, for he epitomizes the radiotelegrapher at his professional and personal best.

To begin with, Frank is a perfectionist and has been throughout his life. He is a dedicated professional and no ship signal was ever too weak or too covered with interference for him to at least attempt to copy. Frank, a compassionate man, took great interest in the personal lives of his fellow employees and later when he became manager, the personal affairs, positive and negative, of his men as if they were his own children. For example, if an employee had financial difficulties, and Frank found out about it, he would give that man substantial overtime whether or not the traffic load warranted additional overtime. He continued piling the overtime on until it was ascertained the man was out of financial difficulty.

Secondly, Frank was a willing listener to a variety of personal problems. In essence, he was a father confessor for all of his men.

Above all, Frank was a born leader. He did not believe in the corporate axiom that suggested familiarity breeds contempt between management and labor. He treated his employees with dignity and respect, and his men reciprocated in kind. Frank listened to suggestions with interest and attention, noting them if they were worthy, rejecting them if not. But always, Frank graciously thanked the contributor for his interest and input. It may seem that Frank was and is the perfect man, but of course this is not the case. Frank, as all of us do, has faults, a temper, and idiosyncrasies.

End Part 4 (Next Part - More FG)

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