Jean Ferré

Jean Ferré (29 May 1929, Saint-Pierre-les-Églises, now part of Chauvigny, Vienne, – 10 October 2006, Saint-Germain-en-Laye) was a French art historian and a right-political journalist. He was also the founder of the Paris-based Radio Courtoisie in 1987.

Early years

From 1942 Ferré performed his secondary studies at the Collège Saint-Stanislas in Poitiers, a Jesuit school. After his baccalaureate, he undertook mathélem, then studied in the École spéciale de mécanique et d'électricité. He did not finish his studies. Towards the end of 1945, he constructed a shortwave transceiver with double frequency change and lamps. This taste for radio was to last his whole life.

In 1949, Ferré became an amateur radio licensee with callsign F9OV. He frequently contacted K2UN, an American enthusiast better known as Barry Goldwater, who would later run unsuccessfully for President of the United States of America. K2UN was broadcasting from the roof of the UN building with highly effective equipment; he was always surprised to achieve contact with Ferré, who only had a 10-watt transmitter. When K2UN came to France, Ferré asked to meet him – the former remembered their contact. for Barry Goldwater, Ferré was "Mister 10 watts".