11/02/2025
‘The First Martyr to Radio,’ a historic Homewood tragedy, gains a national audience.
The tragic death of 19-year-old Homewood resident Lester J. Wolf in July 1926 has gained national attention through an episode of the syndicated radio show and podcast Our American Stories, hosted by Lee Habeeb.
At the time, Wolf worked as a technician at WOK, one of Homewood’s earliest commercial radio stations, which broadcast with a 5,000-watt transmitter.
Historical records place the station’s transmitter near the Parson’s Ammonia Co. plant, the site now occupied by the Flosswood condominium complex.
On July 10, 1926, Wolf suffered a fatal accident while working on a circuit at the station and was electrocuted. He has since been remembered as radio’s “first martyr.”
The episode of Our American Stories highlights Wolf’s ambition and the promise of early broadcasting, while also illustrating the risks faced by pioneers working with emerging technology. The story draws from local historical society records and features a dramatic reenactment of the events.
Nearly a century later, this little-known local tragedy is reaching a national audience, while a display at the Homewood Historical Society ensures that Wolf’s story remains preserved in the community.
The death of 19-year-old Homewood resident Lester Wolf in 1926 is going national as an episode of the podcast Our American Stories.
