William Arthur Steel MC (November 3, 1890 – November 28, 1968) was a Canadian Army officer during World War I and a radio pioneer.
Steel was born in 1890 in Castleton, Ontario and graduated from electrical engineering from the University of Toronto in 1915
Military career
After graduation he joined the Canadian Army (Permanent Active Militia) in World War I in France as a wireless officer. He was awarded an MC in the 1917 Birthday Honours. Post war he became Chief Wireless Officer with the Canadian Army Signals Corps and was in charge of the National Research Council's radio laboratory in the early 1930s.
Later years
Steel retired as lieutenant colonel in 1936, and later served as a commissioner with the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission, which became the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He was involved with William Duncan Herridge in the New Democracy, a party that advocated social credit in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Steel helped create radio network in the Northwest Territories and radio for civil aviation in Canada.
Steel later worked as a consultant and involved in the DEW Line until his death.
Death
He died in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1968 and was buried at Beechwood Cemetery.
References
- ^ "Portraits Historiques" (PDF). Beechwoodottawa.ca. Retrieved 2015-10-24..
- Awarded the Military Cross
- ^ Donald J.C. Phillipson. "William Arthur Steel". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
- Frischmann, Brett M.; Madison, Michael J.; Strandburg, Katherine J. (5 August 2014). Governing Knowledge Commons. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199972043. Retrieved 2015-10-24.
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ignored (help)
- 1890 births
- 1968 deaths
- Canadian military personnel from Ontario
- University of Toronto alumni
- People from Northumberland County, Ontario
- Burials at Beechwood Cemetery (Ottawa)
- Canadian military personnel of World War I
- Canadian Expeditionary Force officers
- Royal Canadian Corps of Signals officers
- Canadian recipients of the Military Cross