The Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company in Boston was a major manufacturer of commercial and military radio equipment from 1907 until sometime in the 1920's when it was absorbed into the RCA conglomerate.

The WSA "Audion" tube was designed by Pickard and 100 of the tubes submitted to the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1917.

The Wireless Specialty Apparatus Company (WSA) was formed in 1907 by Col.John Firth, Greenleaf W.Pickard, and Pickard's patent attorney, Philip Farnsworth.
It started with manufacture of Pickards Silicon and Pericon detectors (PERfect pIcKard cONtact). Pickard developed receivers like the IP76 around 1908.

There were not less than 21 Pickard patents, property of WSA, which covered, among others, circuit arrangements for crystal sets, crystal members, means for mounting of crystals and contacts and mechanism to permit the user's selection of contact points of the contacting conductor on the crystals. They covered also loop arrangements.

May 1, 1922 WSA published a series of advertisements and circulars which indicated that crystal radio receiving sets are controlled by patents owned by them.
The retailers should insist upon guarantees from other radio manufacturers, holding them (the dealer) harmless in case a suit was filed by WSA alleging patent infringement.
That prompted the forming of "Independent Radio Manufacturers, Inc." to fight WSA (under the lead of Freed Eisemann).