GUGLIELMO MARCONI

"My inventions are to save man and not to destroy him."

Inventor of Wireless telegraphy. 1895. was born in Bologna on the 25th April, 1874 and died in Rome on the 20th July, 1937.  This is the last photo of Guglielmo Marconi and was taken at Santa Marghenrita Ligure (Genoa) on the 11th November 1936 in his study on board the yacht "Elettra"; it shows the Great Scientist engaged in new experiments.

Inventore del telegrafo senza fili 1895. Nato a Bologna il 25 Aprile 1874. Morto a Roma il 20 luglio 1937.  Questa fotografia che e l'ultima di guglielmo Marconi fu ripresa a Santa Margherita Ligure(Genova) il giomo 11 novembre 1936, nel Suo gabinetto di lavoro sul panfilo "Elettra". Mentre il grande scomparso compiva nuovi divinatori esperimenti.

Submitted by John Milione

GENERAL SARNOFF

General Sarnoff came to this country in 1900 at the age of nine. He sold newspapers and worked as a delivery and messenger boy.  On September 30, 1906 he joined the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America as an office boy and began his career in wireless.  When the Radio Corporation of America was formed in 1919, he became its Commercial Manager.  General Sarnoff was elected President of RCA in 1930, at the age of 29.  In 1947, he was elected Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive officer.  In 1966, he relinquished the post of Chief Executive Officer, continuing to serve actively as Chairman of the Board.  A memorandum he wrote to his superior offices in the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of America in 1916 has become famous in the annals of American industry. In it he proposed a plan for broadcasting programs into the home by using a "radio music box."  This proposal led directly to the development of the radio and radio broadcasting as it is known today. (Our-World 1968)

HOWARD R. HAWKINS

Mr. Hawkins joined RCA Communications in 1946 as Assistant General Attorney.   He became General Attorney in 1949 and Vice President in 1951.  He was elected Executive Vice President and a Director in 1964, and he became President on June 3, 1966.    Mr. Hawkins was graduated from Indiana University in 1938 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Public business Administration and in 1941 received the additional degree of Doctor of jurisprudence with Distinction.  He was elected to the honorary Order of the Coif.   He served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1941 to 1946 on assignments including communications operations and other major security matters.  Mr. Hawkins is a member of the bar of the U.S. Supreme Court, State of New York, State of Indiana, U.S. Court of Appeals for New York and District of Columbia, and the Federal Communications Commission.  He has served as Vice Chairman of the International Communications committee and as a member of the Telecommunications Committee of the Public Utility Section of the American Bar Association.  He is also a member of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, the Federal Communications Bar Association, the Inter-American Bar Association, Newcomen Society in North America, New York Downtown Athletic Club, and the Harbor View Club of New York.  (Our-World 1968)

EUGENE D. BECKEN

Mr. Becken joined RCA Communications in 1935 as Transmitting Engineer at the Rocky Point transmitting station.  He was transferred to the New York headquarters in 1936 where he held various operating and engineering positions.  He became Plant Operations Engineer in 1948.  He was made an Assistant Vice President in 1953.  He was elected Vice President, Operations Engineering in 1959 and Vice President and Chief Engineer in 1960.  Mr. Becken was graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1932 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering.  He received a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering with a major in Communications from the University of Minnesota in 1933.  He received a Master of Science degree in Business and Engineering on a Sloan Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1952.  Mr. Becken is a registered Professional Engineer, State of New York, a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the New York Academy of Sciences.  He is also a member of the Society of Sloan Fellows of M.I.T., the Newcomen Society in North America, the National Industrial Advisory committee of the FCC and the RCA Institutes Board of Technical Advisors.  He is President of the Glen Rock, New Jersey Borough council and a past President of the Glen Rock board of Education. (Our World 1968)

JOHN McKENNA

Vice President and District Manager, New York.  Mr.  McKenna has more than thirty years of service with RCA Communications, Inc.  He is responsible for opertions in the New York district which includes the Central Telegraph Office, Branch Offices and the transmitting and receiving stations on Long Island.  Mr Mckenna joined RCA Communications in 1935 as a member of the traffic staff at the Central Telegraph Office in New York.  He performed various special assignments in the Traffic Department prior to World War II.  During World War II, he served with the Signal Corps at the Army Signal Center, Station WAR in the Pentagon.  He also served as a trouble shooter at other Signal Centers including the one in Paris.  He returned to RCA Communications as Traffic Assistant in 1946.   He became Assistant Traffic Engineer in 1956 and was appointed General Superintendent.  New York Central Telegraph Office in 1958.  He was elected Vice President and District Manager in 1964.  Mr. McKenna attended New York University. He is a member of the Downtown Athletic Club and the American Management Association.   (Our World 1968)

LEONARD W. TUFT

Mr Tuft joined Radio Corporation of America in 1948 as an attorney.  He came to RCA Communications in 1948 and was named Assistant General Attorney in 1960 and General Attorney in 1965.  He was elected Vice President in 1966.  Mr Tuft was graduated from Temple University in 1944 with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Finance.  He received a Bachelor of Laws degree from Harvard in 1948. He was commissioned in the Air Force in World War II and served as a navigator in the Southwest Pacific Theatre.  He was awarded the distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster.   Mr Tuft is a member of the Bar of the State of New York,  U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit and the Federal Communications Commission.  He is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association,  the Harvard Law School Association and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.  While at Temple University, he was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma,  National Commerce Honorary Society and Pi Gamma Nu,  National Science Honor Society.   (Our World 1968)

THOMAS D. MEOLA

Vice President Operations. Mr. Meola has served with RCA Communications, Inc, for almost forty-three years.  He is responsible for systemwide operating and service quality standards.  Mr Meola. who joined RCA in 1924, has had a varied career in the communications industry.  Starting as an outside rigger, he subsequently advanced to Operating Technician, Construction Engineer, and Engineer-in-Charge.  He was appointed Manager of the New Orleans office in 1941. After the start of World War II, he became Manager of Station "X", established by RCA to handle press dispatches and personal messages from the European Theater of Operations in 1943.  He accompanied the U.S. Army from Algiers to Berlin and by the end of the war, had stations operating in Rome, Berlin and Nuremburg.  He also assisted in re-establishing communications between the United States and the occupied countries of Europe.  He became European Manager of the Company in 1945 and upon his return to the United States was appointed Manager, Public Offices and Sales in 1949,   He was elected Vice President in charge of the New York District in 1952 and Vice President in charge of Operations in 1953.  He returned to Europe as Vice President and European Manager in 1958.  He was named Vice President, Operations in 1962. (Our World 1968)

LARRY F. HOWARD

His life is dedicated to helping others.  Even after serving four years in the Korean War, Larry Howard joined the Air force Reserves, On active weekends, he trains troops in telepraphic and cryptographic communications.  As Communications Non-Commissioned Oficer-In Charge of the 514th Communications Flight, TSgt. Howard has a most important responsibility: coordination and implementation of all land-to-land and land-to-air communications in a combat area... where reliability's a matter of life and death. He was chosen because his superiors know they can count on him. He's constantly proving that. That's why, when they selected a managerment training team...or appointed an Elite Honor Guard...or chose a Career Advisor to represent the Air Force attracting recuits...they turned to Larry Howard.  But his service to mankind doesn't stop there. When the March of Dimes needed a battalion to march for donations...When his son's boy scout troop needed a leader...When the Board of Education chose a role model to educate underprivileged kids...When a New York College sought an instructor to teach a course in Human Relations...Larry Howard was there.   Never thinking twice about giving his time and energy.  "I find satisfaction in reaching out to help people in a world that can be so indifferent," he says. You can tell he means it.  Larry is also here, as a full-time Senior Customer Trainer with RCA Globcom. Listening to his customers, Understanding their problems. Teaching them how to make the most of the Services RCA offers. And always responding with personal attention to their needs.  The giving spirit Larry Howard and others like him assures you of superior performance from all of our services.(RCA Relay).

SALVATORE DeMARCO

Memories is the memory we have of Sal, he was a gentleman: a people person who always sought to help others.  Moreover, he was a family man who considered RCA as part of his family.  Born on May 13, 1913 and passed on on July 1, 1988.  He was a forty years veteran employee of RCA, starting when he was 18 years old.  He took leave from RCA during the war to work at the Pentagon with a group from RCA; while there, he attended one of the first United Nations Conferences at the Presidio.   One of the hight points of his career was when he was appointed manager of the phone room; and all important incoming point for message traffic.  At his first meeting with his p[eople, (which was on a weekend) he introduced everyone to his three children who were with him.  He successfully managed the phone room for many years and earned the respect of all both in management and labor.  During his career at RCA, Sal helped many younger employees improve their skills; he always went out of his way to advance their careers.  In short, he never forgot his roots.  When he retired in 1971 he moved to Florida with his wife Kay and quickly found a job as a Bailiff in Broward County Courthouse. Using his experience from his years at RCA, Sal soon organized all the Bailiffs into the Broward Bailiff's Association, an organization that exists until today.  Sal worked with attorney Anthony Titone (another former RCA employee) and the new orginazation became the barganing agent for all bailiffs. Sal helped negotiate one of the most substantial pay increases ever received by Bailiffs in the State of Florida.   Sal's wife Kay passed away in 1986.  He then lived alone for a while and when his health failed, with his eldest daughter.  His memories were many and he always spoke fondly of RCA and all the people he worked with.  (Submitted by: Anthony Titone) 02-20-02

EUGENE F. MURPHY

Vice Chairman of the Board Executive Officer, General Electric Company. Director since 1997. A graduate of Queens College with an LLD from Fordham Law School and an LLM from Georgetown. Mr. Murphy joined RCA Global Communications as an attorney in 1964 after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He became vice president and general counsel of that company in 1969. In 1985, he became RCA executive vice president for Communications and Electronic Services. He was a Member of President Reagan's National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee and former Chairman and permanent Member of the Board of Directors of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. In 1986, following GE's acquisition of RCA, Mr. Murphy became senior vice president and head of GE Communications and Services. In 1991, Mr. Murphy became head of GE's Aerospace business and then president and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines in 1993. He is a Member of the Aerospace Industries Association Board of Governors. In accordance with an agreement with GE, as the result of the aggregate principal amount of loans outstanding between GE and the Corporation, GE is entitled to nominate one Director to the Corporation's Board. Mr. Murphy is that nominee. He is also a director of Lockheed Martin Corporation.                                    

Submitted by: Phil Rauso