Preserving Broadcasting History

On February 18, 1908, Lee DeForest patented the "audion," a vacuum tube that could take a weak electrical signal and transmit it over a much larger scale. DeForest's invention was used in early radios, televisions and the very first computers. It's ironic but also fitting that on that very same day, Joseph R. Pavek—founder of the —was born. 

"Given how key DeForest's piece was to early radio, it seems some destiny was afoot there," said Tom Mittelstaedt, associate director of the museum. 

That so-called destiny wouldn't be realized for upwards of 80 years when, in 1988, the broadcasting museum's doors would finally open. It took some time to get there, though.

Joe Pavek had always loved radios. Making his livelihood off a couple blue-collar Minneapolis shops—Twin City Nut & Bolt and Pavek Paint & Hardware—Joe found himself traveling around the Midwest on business, which is when his collection of now antique radios and broadcasting artifacts began to grow.

"Joe caught the collecting bug," Mittelstaedt said. "He would always come back to town with a couple of radios in the trunk of his car."

In the early 1980s, Pavek's dream of having a museum seemed to be dimming. That's when Earl Bakken, founder of MedTronic and inventor of the Pacemaker, and Paul Hedberg, president of the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, came on board to help him out.

"That's kind of how we ended up at this location," said Mittelstaedt. "Those three organized as a non-profit organization and were looking for a place to have their museum. First, they needed somewhere to store all of Pavek's stuff and this building was available. Now, 27 years later, we're still here."

After Pavek's death in 1989, Stephen Raymer came on as managing director of the museum. Not long after, in 1990, Mittelstaedt, then a PhD student at the University of Minnesota, started working afternoons for Raymer. Since then, the duo have helped keep broadcasting alive by welcoming schools, scout troops, visitors and everyone in between into what might otherwise be a fading medium.

"This stuff will never go away," Raymer said, standing beside a phonograph from the Jack Mullin collection. "People always thought radio would put the newspapers out of business. Then they thought television would put radio out of business. In our opinion, radio and TV broadcasting will always be here."

"At the museum, we want to preserve the history of radio and television—particularly in our part of the country," Mittelstaedt added. "Not many technologies in the 20th century have had a bigger impact than mass electronic communication. We want to provide a little perspective on that, help people remember, and get them excited to become a part of what's coming next."

The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is a mere $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children. I would encourage everyone to check out this great, under-the-radar museum. Steve and Tom are usually on site and would be more than happy to show you around one of the world's most renowned collections of radio broadcasting artifacts.