William S. Stone

Who was William S. Stone?

General William Sebastian Stone was an American United States Air Force Major General and the third Superintendent of the United States Air Force Academy. His final assignment was as the air deputy to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Stone was born at Cape Girardeau, Missouri on January 6, 1910. After graduating from high school in St. Louis, he attended the United States Military Academy, and, upon graduation on June 12, 1934, was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.

Upon completing flying training in October 1935, he was assigned to the 32nd Bomb Squadron at March Field, California. Two years later, in June 1937, he entered the California Institute of Technology. He received the degree of master of science in meteorology the following year and was assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington as the Weather Officer.

In May 1940, he was appointed to West Point as an instructor in economics, government and history. After two years at West Point, he was assigned to head the Air Corps Weather Research project at the California Institute of Technology.