Elmo N. Pickerill, or “Pick” as most operators knew him, was a pioneer who served for many years as Chief Radio Officer on the SS Leviathan, one of the largest US commercial vessels. He also was an “early bird” who learned to fly so that he could experiment with air-to-ground radio communication. A SoWP Chapter was named in his honor, and his memorabilia can be found at the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress in Washington. Here we’ve posted just a few photos from his collection for your inspection…
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071801-Pickerill-Adjusting-Leviathan-Xmtr-copy.jpg)
CRO Pickerill Adjusting Telephone Transmitter, SS Leviathan, 1923
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071802-Pickerill-at-10-kW-Leviathan-Xmtr-copy.jpg)
Pickerill at the 10 kW Water-cooled Transmitter on the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071803-SS-Leviathan-Record-copy.jpg)
Trans-Atlantic Record Set by the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071804-Leviathan-and-Pickerill-copy.jpg)
SS Leviathan (top) and Pickerill (bottom) from Radio Broadcast, Sep 1923
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071805-Tamborino-Pickerill-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Anthony Tamborino Reporting for Duty as 1st Asst Radio Operator, SS Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071806P1-Leviathan-Radio-Crew-copy.jpg)
Radio Officers: Pickerill, Tamborino, Green, Bollendonk, Engelder, Underhill, SS Leviathan, 1923
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071808-Unannotated-Leviathan-Photos-copy.jpg)
Un-annotated photos, likely Leviathan ~1923
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071809P1-Pickerill-and-Others-copy.jpg)
Pickerill and Others Aboard the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071810-Irwin-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Jack Irwin Aboard the Leviathan; Lifeboats Equipped with Wireless
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071811-Kasner-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Kasner Aboard the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071813-Purington-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Purington Aboard the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071812-Shaw-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Don Shaw Aboard the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071814-Bollendonk-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
Henry F. Bollendonk Aboard the Leviathan
![](http://www.sowp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/LR-3307071815-SInclair-Leviathan-copy.jpg)
George Sinclair Aboard the Leviathan. Now there’s one happy guy!