Biographical / Historical

Jacob M. "Jack" Gutzeit (1921-2003) was, in the context of this collection, an amateur radio operator, known by the call sign W2LZX. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, and as a married man in the 1940s, moved to Flushing, Queens, where he lived for 60 years. He died in Delray Beach, Florida.

Gutzeit became interested in electronics as a teenager and built his own radio tubes. He became a licensed amateur, or "ham," radio operator in 1939. During World War II, Gutzeit enlisted with the Army in 1943 and was assigned to the 897th Signal Company in the Pacific theater. After the 897th was assigned to the Air Force's 81st Air Depot group, he served as a radioman on B-17s. He was discharged from the military at the end of the war at the rank of sergeant.

Gutzeit was engaged with electronics throughout his life, as a teacher at Brooklyn Technical School, as a salesman of electronic devices and components, and as senior advertising manager for QSL Magazine. He obtained a private pilot's license in the 1950s, flying a Cessna 172 along the East Coast. He was an award-winning radio operator and a member of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL).

Gutzeit married Ruth Rakoff in 1942, shortly before heading to war. They had two children, Sande and Howard; Sande arranged the donation of this collection to N-YHS.

(The above note is based on a biographical note included by the donor with the collection.)