Stanford Caldwell Hooper was a Rear Admiral of the United States Navy, and a noted radio pioneer who has been called "the Father of Naval Radio".
Background
Hooper was born in Colton, California, and educated in the San Bernardino public schools. At age 8 his father built him a telegraph transmitter and taught him Morse code. By age 10 he was working as a relief telegraph operator during summer vacations.
Education
United States Naval Academy.
Career
Hooper conducted pioneering radio tests, established land stations for communication with the fleet, and served as technical advisor and head of many boards and committees dealing with communications. He entered the United States Naval Academy at age 15, and after graduation in 1905 served on various ships. From 1910-1911 he taught electricity, physics, and chemistry at the Naval Academy, then from 1912-1914 (and again 1923-1925) served as the first Fleet Radio Officer, where he created the Navy"s tactical signaling codes.
During 1915-1917, 1919–1923 and 1926-1928 he was in charge of the Navy"s Radio Division.
In 1922 he supervised installation of the first wireless telephone in the White House for President Warren Harding. In 1928 he was appointed the Chief Engineer for the new Federal Radio Commission, the predecessor of the Federal Communications Commission.
He was forcibly retired in January 1943 following a clash with Federal Communications Commission chairman James Lawrence Fly in mid-1942, though remained activated until June 1945. He became a contractor with commercial electronics firms after retiring until his death.