Stephen Ailes

STEPHEN AILES was born in Romney, West Virginia, on 25 May 1912; attended Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Virginia, 1929; graduated from Princeton University, 1933; received his law degree from West Virginia University, 1936; was admitted to the West Virginia bar, 1936; was assistant professor of law, West Virginia University, 1937–1940; married Helen Wales, 1939; practiced law at Martinsburg, 1940–1942; was a member of the legal staff of the Office of Price Administration, 1942–1946, and its general counsel, 1945–1946; served as counsel to the American Economic Mission to Greece, 1947, which preceded the Truman Doctrine aid to Greece and Turkey; returned to private law practice with the Washington firm of Steptoe & Johnson, 1948–1949; was legal consultant to the director of the Office of Price Stabilization, 1951; served as Under Secretary of the Army, 9 February 1961–28 January 1964; served as Secretary of the Army, 28 January 1964–1 July 1965; under his direction the Army dealt with riots in the Panama Canal Zone in which the Secretary helped negotiate a settlement, provided disaster assistance following earthquakes in Skopje, Yugoslavia, and Anchorage, Alaska, made an agreement with the Federal Republic of Germany to develop jointly a new main battle tank, assumed responsibility for the nation’s Civil Defense function, provided troops to protect American personnel and bring an end to a civil war in the Dominican Republic, and dispatched the first combat units to Vietnam; returned to legal practice; was a director of the Panama Canal Company, 1966–1970; was president of the Association of American Railroads, 1971–1977; resumed the practice of law.

The Artist

In addition to portraits of three Army Secretaries, New York entrepreneur Leo Fox contracted for and Irving Resnikoff painted the portraits of Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone of the Supreme Court, Chairmen Clarence Cannon and George H. Mahon of the House Appropriations Committee, and J. George Stewart, Architect of the Capitol. The C. J. Fox signature also appears on the portraits of a number of figures in the business world, including J. Paul Austin of the Coca Cola Company, Harold S. Geneen of International Telephone and Telegraph Company, A. P. Giannini of the Bank of America, and V. J. Skutt of Mutual of Omaha.

[146]

STEPHEN AILES
L. Johnson Administration
By Irving Resnikoff, signed C.J. Fox
Oil on canvas, 44½" x 34½", ca. 1965

page created 12 March 2001

Return to Front Matter