William Stephenson Memorial Plaque

[front/devant]

SIR WILLIAM SAMUEL STEPHENSON

"INTREPID"

SIR WILLIAM STEPHENSON WAS BORN IN 1896 IN THE POINT DOUGLAS AREA AND RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION IN THE CITY OF WINNIPEG.

IMMEDIATELY UPON GRADUATION FROM ARGYLE SCHOOL IN 1914 HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL CANADIAN ENGINEERS. HE SERVED WITH DISTINCTION DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND WAS DECORATED SEVERAL TIMES FOR BRAVERY BEING AWARDED THE MILITARY CROSS, THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND THE CROIX DE GUERRE.

FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THE WAR HE JOINED THE STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA WHERE HE TAUGHT MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE. IN 1921 HE RETURNED TO ENGLAND ENJOYING A BRILLIANT CAREER IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY AND PLAYED AN INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF TELEVISION DEVELOPMENT.

DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR, SIR WILLIAM WAS APPOINTED DIRECTOR OF BRITISH SECURITY CO-ORDINATION AS WELL AS PRIME MINISTER WINSTON CHURCHILL'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. HE IS MOST POPULARLY KNOWN FOR HIS PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE BRITISH INTELLIGENCE EFFORT, AN ACTIVITY WHICH EARNED HIM THE CODE NAME, INTREPID. HIS SERVICES TO THE COMMONWEALTH DURING THE WAR YEARS WERE RECOGNIZED BY HIS BEING KNIGHTED IN 1945.

TRULY A REMARKABLE SON OF WINNIPEG, SIR WILLIAM ALWAYS EXCELLED IN EVERY ACTIVITY IN WHICH HE BECAME INVOLVED AND ALWAYS EXEMPLIFIED THE HIGHEST QUALITIES OF DEDICATION AND PATRIOTISM.

THIS PLAQUE ERECTED IN HIS HONOUR BY THE CITIZENS OF WINNIPEG AND THE RESIDENTS OF POINT DOUGLAS COMMUNITY WAS UNVEILED BY: HIS WORSHIP MAYOR WILLIAM NORRIE, Q.C. AUGUST 15TH 1982