Ellery Wheeler Stone

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(January 14, 1894 – September 18, 1981) was a prominent figure in the history of radio, serving both in government and corporations during the first half of the twentieth century and decorated

Rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

in the

United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2004, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called reservists, are categorized as being in either the S ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, while served as Chief Commissioner,

Allied Control Commission Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany, Italy and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far ...

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Following the War, Stone served as the head of the

Commercial Cable Company The Commercial Cable Company was founded in New York in 1884 by John William Mackay and James Gordon Bennett, Jr. Their motivation was to break the then virtual monopoly of Jay Gould on transatlantic telegraphy and bring down prices (particular ...

, a subsidiary of the

International Telephone and Telegraph ITT Inc., formerly ITT Corporation, is an American worldwide manufacturing company based in Stamford, Connecticut. The company produces specialty components for the aerospace, transportation, energy and industrial markets. ITT's three businesses ...

corporation, and later oversaw its

American Cable and Radio Corporation American Cable and Radio Corporation was a communications holding company in the middle 20th century. Created in February 1940, it was a part of ITT World Communications, and operated what was known as the American Cable and Radio System, comprisi ...

division until 1958. He later served as Vice President of

and retired in 1969.

Early career

Ellery W. Stone was born on January 14, 1894, in

Oakland, California Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, California, Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major We ...

, as the son of Edgar P. Stone and Florence P. Weeks. He became interested in electrical apparatus in 1908, at the time of his fourteenth birthday, when his mother gave his, as a birthday present, a small German battery-operated motor. While still on the Oakland High School, he became a licensed radio operator in 1911 and upon the graduation, Stone enrolled the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school the ...

, where he studied radio engineering. Stone left the college in early 1914 and applied for job as Assistant Radio Inspectors within the

United States Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce (DOC) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for gathering data for business and governmental decision making, establishing industrial standards, catalyzing econ ...

. He was selected and served in that capacity in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

, while he was responsible for inspection of all U.S. ships registered that came to San Francisco of U.S. register once a year. Shortly before the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, all regulation of radio communications passed under the control of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. Stone was offered whether he want to be transferred to the

Army Signal Corps The United States Army Signal Corps (USASC) is a branch of the United States Army responsible for creating and managing communications and information systems for the command and control of combined arms forces. It was established in 1860 by ...

or the Navy Communications Service. Stone chose the Navy and was commissioned

Lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...

on March 16, 1917. He was subsequently assigned to the headquarters of the Twelfth Naval District at

Mare Island Naval Shipyard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY or MINS) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean and was in service 142 years from 1854 to 1996. It is located on Mare Island, northeast of San Francisco, in Vallejo, Califor ...

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California, United States, and the second largest city in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the ci ...

, and assumed duty as Assistant District Communications Superintendent under Captain Robert Lee Russell. Stone remained in that capacity for the duration of the war and was promoted to

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. In early 1919, he was ordered to the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. 'Hulk' may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or a ship whose propulsion system is no longer maintained or has been r ...

at San Francisco for an administrative job handling personnel, who were mostly getting out of the Navy following the war and held that job until the end of year, when he was transferred to the inactive list of the Navy.

Interwar period

Stone began working for Kilburn and Clark Manufacturing Company, who had opened a San Francisco office, selling sets sending and receiving equipment for ships. He also retained his commission as a member of the

, where he served for next three decades, reaching the rank of

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

. He was president of the

Federal Telegraph Company The Federal Telegraph Company was a United States manufacturing and communications company that played a pivotal role in the 20th century in the development of radio communications. History The company was founded in Palo Alto, California in 1909 ...

from 1924 to 1931, when ITT acquired the company together with the Mackay corporations.

World War II

Following the outbreak of

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

in September 1939, Stone tried to get on active duty, but was rejected several times due to his position as President and Director of the

Postal Telegraph Company Postal Telegraph Company (Postal Telegraph & Cable Corporation) was a major operator of telegraph networks in the United States prior to its consolidation with Western Union in 1943.Nonnenmacher, TomasHistory of the U.S. Telegraph Industry/ref> P ...

, which was considered important for the war effort. However, he was able to be recalled for a brief periods of active duty for two weeks during 1941; three weeks in 1942 and couple of months in 1943, serving consecutively in the Communications-Liaison Reserve of the Office of Naval Communications under Rear admiral

Leigh Noyes Leigh Noyes (December 15, 1885 – March 24, 1961) was a vice admiral in the United States Navy during World War II. He was Director of Naval Communications before the outbreak of World War II and later served as commander, Carrier Division 3 an ...

and on the headquarters of

Eastern Sea Frontier The Eastern Sea Frontier (EASTSEAFRON) was a United States Navy operational command during World War II, that was responsible for the Sea Frontier along coastal waters from Canada to Jacksonville, Florida, extending out for a nominal distance of ...

under Vice admiral

Adolphus Andrews Adolphus Andrews (October 7, 1879 – June 19, 1948) was a decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of Vice Admiral. A Naval Academy graduate and veteran of three wars, he is most noted for his service as Commander, Eastern Sea ...

. While in

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, Stone met his old friend, Vice admiral

William A. Glassford William Alexander Glassford (6 June 1886 – 30 July 1958) was a United States Navy officer with the rank of vice admiral, who is most noted for his service during World War II. Early naval career William Alexander Glassford was born on 6 June 1 ...

, who was ordered by President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

to be Head of the U.S. Military Mission to

Dakar Dakar ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Senegal, largest city of Senegal. The Departments of Senegal, department of Dakar has a population of 1,278,469, and the population of the Dakar metropolitan area was at 4.0 mill ...

French West Africa French West Africa (, ) was a federation of eight French colonial empires#Second French colonial empire, French colonial territories in West Africa: Colonial Mauritania, Mauritania, French Senegal, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guin ...

. Stone was finally recalled to active duty in May 1943 as

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

and appointed Chief of Staff to Admiral Glassford. He accompanied him to

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

and remained there until November that year, when he was appointed Chief of Communications of the

Allied Commission Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany, Italy and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far ...

for Italy under Major general Kenyon A. Joyce. The commission was responsible for the supervision that all Italian economic resources and manpower are utilized for the most efficient use in the fight against

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

. Stone was directly responsible for the planning, coordination and execution of the restoration of communications in liberated

. He later served under british lieutenant general Noel Mason-MacFarlane, who succeeded Joyce, and was appointed Vice President and Deputy Chief Commissioner of the Allied Commission. Within this capacity, Stone was promoted to

in June 1944 and appointed Chief Commissioner of the Allied Commission. He was senior representative of the Allied Control Commission at

Salerno Salerno (, ; ; ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Campania, southwestern Italy, and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after Naples. It is located ...

, then the seat of the Italian government in liberated territory and dealt directly with the Italian government and was responsible for terms and for the insurance that the Italian government's conduct would conform to the requirements of an Allied base of operations. For his service in this capacity, Stone was decorated with

Army Distinguished Service Medal The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration of the United States Army that is presented to soldiers who have distinguished themselves by exceptionally meritorious service to the government in a duty of great responsibility. ...

and also received several foreign decorations from

San Marino San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two European microstates, microsta ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

.Harry S. Truman, Message to Admiral Stone Commending Him on His Service with the Allied Commission for Italy
7 February 1947, American Presidency Project.

Postwar career

Following the surrender of

in May 1945, Stone was given additional duty as Chief Civil Affairs Officer of Occupied Territory under Allied Military Government in Italy. He had full executive responsibility for the activities of the Allied Commission in connection with all relations with the government of Italy, the interpretation and execution of the surrender terms between the Allied Nations and the Italian government and the supervision of the many involved aspects of civil affairs within those parts of Italy under Allied Military Government. In the execution of his duties Stone was called upon to coordinate the activities of various nations, to face and solve the most difficult political problems and to represent the Allied Nations before the Italian people. He remained in that assignment until May 1946 and received

Navy Distinguished Service Medal The Navy Distinguished Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps which was first created in 1919 and is presented to Sailors and Marines to recognize distinguished and exceptionally meritorio ...

. Stone then served with the Italian Naval Branch, Allied Force Headquarters, Italy, until May 1947, when he was ordered back to the United States for temporary duty under

Chief of Naval Operations The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the highest-ranking officer of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office () held by an Admiral (United States), admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the United States Secretary ...

pending separation from active duty. He then assumed job as the head of the

, a subsidiary of the

corporation, and later oversaw its

division until 1958. Stone later served as Vice President of International Telephone and Telegraph and retired in 1969. Rear admiral Ellery W. Stone died on September 18, 1981, aged 87 in

Montclair, New Jersey Montclair is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a commercial and cultural hub of North Jersey and a diverse ...

, and was buried with full military honors at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

Awards and decorations

Here is the ribbon bar of Rear admiral Stone:

References

External links

Guide to the Ellery W. Stone Papers
at th
Hoover Institution Archives

Stanford University Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...

Oral History - Ellery W. Stone
at the IEEE Global History Network {{DEFAULTSORT:Stone, Ellery W. 1894 births 1981 deaths Military personnel from Oakland, California American electrical engineers Radio pioneers United States Navy admirals 20th-century American engineers United States Navy personnel of World War I United States Navy World War II admirals Recipients of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army) Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Officers of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus Recipients of the Order of the Crown (Italy) Recipients of Italian civil awards and decorations Oakland High School (Oakland, California) alumni