Kenneth W. Bilby

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Kenneth W. Bilby
Kenneth Bilby (L) in Israel, 1948
Born(1918-10-07)October 7, 1918
DiedAugust 1, 1997(1997-08-01) (aged 78)
EducationUniversity of Arizona
OccupationExecutive vice president
EmployerRCA
Known forLegion of Honour
Spouses
  • Helen Owen Lehman
  • Joanne Stroud

Kenneth Whipple Bilby (October 7, 1918 – August 1, 1997) was a recipient of the Legion of Honour, an executive vice president of RCA, and the author of The General, a book on David Sarnoff's role in the creation of RCA and television.[1]

Biography[edit]

He was born on October 7, 1918, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Ralph Willard Bilby and Marguerite Mansfield.[2] He had a brother, Richard Bilby, who became a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona.

He joined the Army on October 15, 1941.[3] During World War II, he served with the 30th Infantry Division in France and Germany, and was awarded The Legion of Honor, the Bronze Star and the Silver Star. He became a lieutenant colonel. After the World War, he covered the 1948 Arab–Israeli War and authored the book: New Star in the Near East.[4]

He married Helen Owen Lehman in 1948.[5] When he retired from RCA he was appointed Executive in Residence at Harvard Business School.[4]

Books[edit]

  • New Star in the Near East, Doubleday
  • The General: David Sarnoff and the rise of the Communications Industry (1986), Harper and Row, ISBN 0-06-015568-X

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Former RCA executive Kenneth W. Bilby dies". Dallas Morning News. August 2, 1997. Retrieved 2008-07-17. Former RCA executive Kenneth W. Bilby died Friday of leukemia at Zale Lipshy University Hospital in Dallas. Services for Mr. Bilby, 78, will be at 2 pm ...
  2. ^ D.S.S. Form 1 Military Draft Registration Card completed on October 16, 1940. Place of birth is listed as "Salt Lake City, Utah", Employer's Name is listed as "N.Y. Herald Tribune".
  3. ^ "Index Record for Kennecth W Bilby WWII Army Enlistment Records", Fold3 by Ancestry.com website. Retrieved November 14, 2020. Army Serial Number is listed as "38003219", Birth Date is listed as "1918" and Birth Place is listed as "Utah".
  4. ^ a b "Kenneth Bilby, 78, Author and Journalist". The New York Times. August 2, 1997. Retrieved 2007-07-21. Kenneth W. Bilby, an author and journalist, died of leukemia in Dallas yesterday. He was 78. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Mr. Bilby graduated from the University of Arizona.
  5. ^ "Helen O. Lehman To Wed Saturday. Descendant of William J. Bryan Engaged to Kenneth W. Bilby of Herald Tribune Staff". The New York Times. March 1, 1948. Retrieved 2008-07-17. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lehman of 625 Park Avenue have announced the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Helen Owen, to Kenneth W. Bilby of ...