ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® has honored Phil Karn, KA9Q, with the Mary Hobart, K1MMH, Medal of Distinction. He was presented the honor at the ARRL donor reception on May 15, 2025, at the National Museum of the United States Air Force on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. The annual event — in the museum’s Presidential Gallery, surrounded by retired Air Force One aircraft — kicks off ARRL’s activities around Dayton Hamvention®

Karn is a graduate of Cornell University and Carnegie Mellon University with degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has retired from a technology career including Bell Labs, Bellcore, and Qualcomm. He is co-founder of AMPRnet, is founder and past-President of Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC), a private foundation that exists to support amateur radio and digital communication science and technology through grants and scholarships, and the management of 44Net. Karn continues to serve on the ARDC Board of Directors. The work of ARDC has contributed approximately $30 million to amateur radio since 2020.

Karn has been licensed since he was 15. “It's been a major factor in my life, directly and indirectly,” he said. Karn views amateur radio as a creative outlet. “I'm an engineer, so I need an outlet for my technical ideas. I'm retired, so amateur radio now fulfills that need. It's very gratifying to see others using your ideas and works,” said Karn.

Karn’s technical contributions to advance the Amateur Radio Service drive his dedication to the future of education through ham radio. He envisions education having a greater role in amateur radio in decades to come. “Ham radio has always excelled at individual self-learning, but it could do so much more. I'd really like to see the many technical tinkerers outside ham radio join us. I'd like to see much more amateur radio in formal education. HamSCI and the many university small satellite groups are good examples but there could be so much more. Hams will continue to create new technology, usually by working in academia and industry but also as individuals,” he said.

Mary Hobart, K1MMH, was ARRL’s first Chief Development Officer. She passed away in 2021. The medal named in her honor is given to those individuals or couples who have inspired our small community to reach higher with their own philanthropic support of ARRL and amateur radio. In 2023, ARRL honored Michael “Mike” D. Valentine, W8MM (Silent Key), and his wife Margaret “Peg” Valentine with the inaugural Hobart Medal.

Karn hopes others follow his lead in contributing to the future of amateur radio. He says there’s no real secret to being a leader – just participate. “The world is easier to change than you might think, but it takes time and persistence. When I was young, I often got frustrated by what seemed like sluggish change, but it will happen. Even if you don't have much time for ham radio when you are busy with your career, try to stay connected with other hams. Encourage your friends and family to become hams. Attend club meetings and dinners. It will pay dividends.”

Attendees at the reception also heard a keynote address from Dr. Ed Snyder, W1YSM, about his ARDC-funded “Marconi” program, which promotes strengthening of amateur radio clubs by encouraging very active clubs to mentor, or “Elmer,” less active clubs. Marconi, in this case, is an acronym for Motivating Amateur Radio Clubs to Open New Initiatives. More information is available at www.arrl.org/marconi.