Stanford Caldwell Hooper | |
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| Born | (1884-08-16)August 16, 1884 |
| Died | April 6, 1955(1955-04-06) (aged 70) |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1905–1945 |
| Rank |  Rear Admiral |
| Commands | USS Fairfax |
| Battles / wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Navy Cross |
Stanford Caldwell Hooper (August 16, 1884 – April 6, 1955) was aRear Admiral of theUnited States Navy, and a notedradio pioneer who has been called "the Father of Naval Radio". 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.[1][2][3]
Hooper was born inColton, California, and educated in theSan Bernardino public schools. At age 8 his father built him atelegraph transmitter and taught himMorse code; by age 10 he was working as a relieftelegraph operator during summer vacations. He entered theUnited States Naval Academy at age 15, and after graduation in 1905 served on various ships. From 1910-1911 he taughtelectricity,physics, andchemistry 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 1917-1918 he commanded theFairfax, for which he was awarded theNavy Cross for distinguished service. In 1922 he supervised installation of the first wireless telephone in theWhite House for PresidentWarren Harding. In 1928 he was appointed the Chief Engineer for the newFederal Radio Commission, the predecessor of theFederal Communications Commission. Afterward he served asDirector of Naval Communications from 1928 to 1934, and on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations in various capacities until June 1942, having won promotion to rear admiral in June 1938. He was forcibly retired in January 1943 following a clash withFederal Communications Commission chairmanJames Lawrence Fly in mid-1942, though remained activated until June 1945. He became a contractor with commercial electronics firms after retiring until his death.
Hooper received theIEEE Medal of Honor in 1934 "for the orderly planning and systematic organization of radio communication in the Government Service with which he is associated, and the concomitant and resulting advances in the development of radio equipment and procedure." In 1945 he received theElliott Cresson Medal for research in radio electronics from theFranklin Institute of Philadelphia, and in 1948 an honorary LL.D. fromDrury College. He also received the FrenchLégion d'honneur, the Department of Navy Electronics Trophy, and the Marconi Medal of Honor. The destroyerUSS Hooper (DE-1026) was named in his honor, and he is honored annually via the Rear Admiral S. C. Hooper Trophy.
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