William Arthur Steel

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^[1]

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.^[2] Post war he became Chief Wireless Officer with the Canadian Army Signals Corps^[3] and was in charge of the National Research Council's radio laboratory in the early 1930s.^[4]

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.^[3] Steel helped create radio network in the Northwest Territories and radio for civil aviation in Canada.^[1]

Steel later worked as a consultant and involved in the DEW Line until his death.

Death

He died in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1968^[3] and was buried at Beechwood Cemetery.^[1]

References