Harold M. McClelland

Who was Harold M. McClelland?

Harold Mark McClelland was a United States Air Force major general who is considered the father of Air Force communications. He founded and led the 19th Bombardment Group in the early 1930s, commanded Rockwell Field for a year then was groomed for higher leadership, becoming the inspector for the General Headquarters Air Force in 1937.

Between 1934 and 1938, McClelland researched the technical and logistical aspects of long-range air communications, an effort which resulted in the establishment of the Army Airways Communications System. Following this, he worked in the Operations and Training Division of the War Department General Staff, and served as chief of the Aviation division.

During World War II, McClelland organized the largest communications system the world had yet seen. McClelland, rated a command pilot, served as the chief of communications for the Central Intelligence Agency in the early 1950s.

In the USAF, an award is given annually in McClelland's name, for excellence in large unit communications.