Charles E. Apgar, Scientist, Inventor, Hero of WWI and WWII & Musician: Madeline’s Monthly Article & Musical Tips Blog & Radio Show for September 2022
Our blog/article and Radio Show shares the amazing life and work of Charles Apgar, scientist, inventor, hero of WWI and WWII and musician.
The new school year is also a wonderful opportunity to start learning a musical instrument to learn discipline, cooperation, teamwork, motivation, concentration and self-esteem. Studying a musical instrument develops millions of new connections, synapses, between nerve cells in the brain. Many of the world’s scientists, medical doctors, mathematicians, engineers, teachers, dentists, CPAs, and others have studied and played musical instruments since they were children. These eminent individuals have integrated music into their thinking process. Studying a musical instrument develops millions of new connections, synapses, between nerve cells in the brain. Also included is an article on how studying a musical instrument can improve students’ academic skills in school.
Our article of the month is “Loose Lips Sink Ships” Is Still True Today by Madeline Frank, Ph.D.
Radio Show Feature Question for September 2022: How did Classical music play a part of Charles Emory Apgar ‘s life as a scientist, inventor, hero of WWI and WWII and musician, and which musical instrument did he play?
https://www.madelinefrankviola.com/one-minute-radio-show-2022/
Charles E. Apgar was born June 28, 1865 in Somerset County, New Jersey to George Charles Apgar and Emily Van Dorn Apgar. He and his parents and 6 siblings moved to Bernardsville, New Jersey in 1876. As a young child, Charles was fascinated by math, science and studying the piano.
When Charles was 15, he met, George Seney, a well-known New York banker vacationing in Bernardsville. “Seney thought that young Charles showed academic promise so he decided to put Charles through school. His schooling consisted of three years (1880-1883) at Centenary Collegiate Institute and then one year at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.”
Charles at Centenary “was one of the top students in the math and sciences as well as music. Consequently, when a laboratory explosion accidentally killed his chemistry professor, Charles was appointed a temporary substitute teacher. He was also the organist for the chapel services every Sunday. After a successful career at Centenary, he attended Wesleyan for one year.”
When Seney’s bank, failed, “Charles’ college education ended.” In 1885 at twenty years of age, Charles began working for “New York Life Insurance Company in the treasurer’s department. For the next six years he steadily worked his way up to next in line for one of the vice-president’s positions. The company was increasing its volume of business at a very rapid rate. Tragically the company did not increase employment in proportion to the rising workload.” Charles was over worked, working long hours with increased pressure. He had a nervous breakdown in 1902 and his doctor said he needed to “work out of doors at something congenial.” He began selling pianos for the Aeolian Music Company and also found a second job selling automobiles. He continued working at both these jobs from 1902-1910.
http://www.apgarfamily.org/node/28
Marriage and Children:
Charles Apgar married Helen May (Clarke) Apgar on May 1, 1894 in Ocean Grove, New Jersey. They were the parents of Lawrence C. Apgar, (born in 1907) and Dr. Virginia Apgar, M.D. (born in 1909).
Charles and Helen’s children “grew up in a lively house hold.” Their daughter Virginia said, “she came from a family that never sat down.” Charles, a wonderful pianist, shared his enjoyment of music by performed musical concerts with his children in the living room of their home. Lawrence was a gifted pianist and Virginia was a talented violinist and cellist. Virginia and Lawrence often played duets together. Charles also shared with them his science experiments in the basement and attic of their house. “The children in the family were well versed in astronomy and chemistry, and self-development was considered one of the main priorities of life.”
Charles began reading and studying Guglielmo Marconi and Lee de Forest’s wireless system they invented in 1903. He mastered their system and built a wireless system in the basement of his home on December 11, 1910. Also, in the basement he had a chemical lab. In his attic, he built a telescope and wrote scientific papers on Astronomy.
“Charles became good friends with the chief engineer, Roy A. Wigan, of the New Jersey based Marconi Company and, through this contact, was able to get a job as a researcher there. He worked there from 1909-1921. He made many important inventions while working for Marconi. Probably his most important invention was the process for recording wireless.”
Charles while at Marconi Company invented “an ampliphone circuit, which amplified even the smallest noises so as to make them easier to record. It took three years to perfect. In his final years there, he put his efforts into inventing the paper cone loudspeaker, which was later used in every radio. Before he perfected the paper cone speaker, all wireless operators had had to use uncomfortable earphones. Even though he invented various useful gadgets such as an electric door lock and a continuous ringing alarm clock, the wireless was still his favorite hobby.”
http://www.apgarfamily.org/node/28
By 1915 Charles Apgar, the Wireless Wizard, had enhanced, developed, owned and operated in the basement of his home “one of the most powerful radio receiving sets in the world.” In 1915 he translated and recorded coded messages sent from the German radio station in Sayville, Long Island “relaying vital sailing dates of U.S. Convoys to the German high command” and each morning he sent the messages to the American Secret Service. “Thanks to the work of Charles Apgar, U-boats stopped sinking Allied ships, and the German wireless operator was sent to Federal Prison at Atlanta” ( Apel, 2003, pp.11-13).
At the age of 75, during WW11, Charles sent the “call to arms” to 55,000 radio operators in the U.S. describing the “German Spies fifth column activities a thousand times more perilous than in 1915 ” (Apgar, L, 1977, p. 6) . Charles Apgar was the father of Virginia Apgar, M.D and Professor Lawrence C. Apgar.
Charles Apgar was a husband, father, grandfather, scientist, inventor, hero of WWI and WWII and lifelong musician. On August 17, 1950, Charles Apgar died, at the age of 85, in Westfield New Jersey.
“Loose Lips Sink Ships” Is Still True Today” BY MADELINE FRANK, PH.D.
During WWII, a poster had a picture of an American ship being torpedoed by a German U-boat!
Underneath the picture were the words “Loose Lips Sink Ships”.
Several other posters proclaimed “Careless Talk: Somebody Blabbed Button Your lips: A careless word…A needless sinking.”
A young Charles Apgar was constantly tinkering with and inventing new gadgets. One was a cone-shaped megaphone. The other was a recording device that allowed Morse code to be recorded on wax cylinders.
Here’s the story:
Suppose someone you knew was talking to a friend about American ship movements and another person walked by and heard them. That person, who was eavesdropping, was really a spy and sent what he or she heard through a Radio Station to the German High Command during WWII.
An American ship was sunk by a U-boat instantly……
Unless, the Wireless Wizard intervened:
Charles Apgar called the “Wireless Wizard” by 1915 had enhanced owned and operated in the basement of his home “one of the most powerful radio receiving sets in the world.” In 1915 he translated and recorded coded messages sent from the German radio station in Sayville, Long Island “relaying vital sailing dates of U.S. Convoys to the German high command” and each morning he sent the messages to the American Secret Service.
“Thanks to his work U-boats stopped sinking Allied ships, and the German wireless operator was sent to Federal Prison at Atlanta ” ( Apel, 2003, pp.11-13). At the age of 75, during WWII Charles sent the “call to arms” to 55,000 radio operators in the U.S. describing the “German Spies fifth column activities a thousand times more perilous than in 1915 ” .
Charles Apgar (June 28, 1865-August 17, 1950) was a scientist who built a telescope, wrote scientific papers on Astronomy, was a lifelong pianist, inventor of “ampliphone circuit which amplified even the smallest noises so as to make them easier to record. He also invented the paper cone loudspeaker” used in radios today (Apgar, C, Wikipedia, 2008, p.1). Charles Apgar was the father of Virginia Apgar, M.D. and Professor Lawrence C. Apgar.
How gossip can kill relationships!
Many years ago, I went to visit my grandfather’s Real Estate office when I was a child of 7 or 8. Another person in Grandfather’s office came in and said “nasty things about someone my grandfather knew.
Grandfather said to him, “He speaks well of you! If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all!”
Grandfather’s words of wisdom have lasted a lifetime. Every newspaper, television news show, radio shows, destroys people’s lives every day! Gossip kills, and destroys lives! “Loose lips do Destroy……..”
Close your lips! “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!
Gossip is the reason so many relationships and reputations are destroyed! Gossip kills relationships! It can start wars!
On the other side of the coin, how can you build strong relationships!
Start by giving an honest simple sincere compliment within a few seconds of meeting someone! For example, what a beautiful blouse you are wearing or that outfit is stunning on you! What a wonderful mustache or what a wonderful hat you are wearing. Are you from Texas? People will smile at you! Try it!
Honest sincere compliments begin new relationships!
Another example how gossip destroys jobs and relationships:
Many years ago, at a College I was teaching at, the head of the College was lied about by someone wanting his job. Like mud sticking to your shoes, dirt sticks too!
No matter how many teachers wrote what an honorable person he was, the bad apple was believed! Gossip kills relationships and destroys reputations. Don’t Gossip!
Charlie Tremendous Jones and Daniel R. Ledwith said, “Look for good instead of problems. One of the cardinal laws of personal relationships is this: people thrive under praise and deteriorate under criticism.”
“It is biblical. “It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with good sense remains silent”
“Some people make cutting remarks, but words of the wise bring healing.”
“Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.”
“Those who love to talk will experience the consequences, for the tongue can kill or nourish life.”
Jones and Ledwith continue, “If we want to be exceptional in our relationships, we have to master this basic principle: People thrive under praise and deteriorate under criticism. Look for the good in others and praise it. Praise it often. Praise it sincerely. Nothing motivates a person more to respond to you than honest praise. Nothing brings up our defensiveness faster than criticism.” (Jones and Ledwith, “Forgiveness Is Tremendous”. p.125)
Instead be a good finder, a person who lifts others up, building honest reputations!
Don’t be a mud slinger!
“Music Students Score Better in Math, Science, English Than Nonmusical Peers” (June 24, 2019) by Martin Guhn, PhD, Scott D. Emerson, MSc, and Peter Gouzouasis, PhD, The University of British Columbia. American Psychology Association.
“Students who participated in music, who had higher achievement in music, and who were highly engaged in music had higher exam scores across all subjects, while these associations were more pronounced for those who took instrumental music rather than vocal music,” said Peter Gouzouasis, PhD, of the University of British Columbia. “On average, the children who learned to play a musical instrument for many years, and were now playing in high school band and orchestra, were the equivalent of about one academic year ahead of their peers with regard to their English, mathematics and science skills, as measured by their exam grades.”
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/06/music-students-score-better
The Secret of Teaching Science & Math Through Music” by Madeline Frank, Ph.D. is available in book form, and newly updated as an e-book on Kindle, Nook, or iBook:
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“Musical Notes On Math” by Dr. Madeline Frank teaches your child fractions and decimals, the fun easy way, through the rhythm of music, Winner of the Parent To Parent Adding Wisdom Award is available in book form, newly updated as an e-book on Kindle, Nook, or iBook.:
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Madeline’s Midnight Melodies- Music From around the World”. This CD complements her books with a blend of dance music, gigues, tangos, ballet and favorites including “Danny Boy”, Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro”, Debussy’s “Claire De Lune” and others. “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” is music to relax by and to move by for music therapy. “Madeline’s Midnight Melodies” CD is now available for purchase by downloading a song, downloading the album, or by CD by clicking below:
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Dr. Madeline Frank’s book “Leadership on a Shoestring Budget” is available through amazon. To order your copy as an e-book on Kindle click on the following link:
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Wishing you and your family a safe September, Labor Day Holiday, from Your Non-Invasive Medicine Music Expert, Madeline
For over 30 years, Dr. Madeline Frank has helped children and adults overcome problems through Classical music. Madeline Frank, Ph.D., DTM is an award-winning teacher, an amazon.com best-selling author, researcher, speaker, conductor, and concert artist. She has discovered a scientific link between studying a musical instrument and academic and societal success. Madeline Frank earned her Bachelor and Master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music. Her education has included scholarships at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and the University of Cincinnati and she has a violin performance diploma from the North Carolina School of the Arts. (C) 2022 Madeline Frank