Ellery W. Stone

Ellery Wheeler Stone, Rear Admiral, United States Naval Reserve (1894–1981) was a prominent figure in the history of radio, serving both in government and corporations during the first half of the twentieth century. He studied radio engineering at the University of California. In 1915-1916 he served as an assistant radio inspector for the United States Department of Commerce at San Francisco. From 1917 to 1919 he was an officer in the United States Naval Reserve, and retained his reserve commission between the world wars. He was president of the Federal Telegraph Company from 1924 to 1931, when ITT acquired the company together with the Mackay corporations. Recalled to active duty in 1943 as a captain, he served from 10 November 1943 to July 1944 as Acting Chief Commissioner of the Allied Commission for Italy. From July 1944 to 7 February 1947, he was the Chief Commissioner. In 1947, at the conclusion of his military service, he became the head of the Commercial Cable Company, a subsidiary of the International Telephone and Telegraph corporation, and later oversaw its American Cable and Radio Corporation division until 1958. He continued with ITT until his retirement in 1969, and at his death in 1981 was survived by a wife, Heide, and daughter, Marina.