Jim and Mary Quello
Jim Quello’s memoirs, My Wars, were published by Alexis de Tocqueville Institution Publishing in early April, 2001. My Wars chronicled the adventures, exploits and accomplishments of this remarkable member of the “Brokaw Generation.” Following valorous service in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War II, Jim pursued a distinguished career in broadcasting with ABC at WJR in Detroit. He interrupted private sector success to pursue public service in what became a 23-1/2 year tenure on the Federal Communications Commission. As a Commissioner, and as Acting Chair for a year, he was a key influence on U.S. communications policy during a period of dramatic change in communication technologies and industries.
The Quello Center lost a wonderful friend and invaluable supporter with the passing of Mary B. Quello on October 25, 1999. Mary and Jim Quello met as undergraduate students at Michigan State University and were married on September 14, 1937. In the words of former MSU Trustee, Dolores Cook, “Mary was the perfect match for Jim, able to hold her own in any situation and match her husband’s wit and charm with her own.” While assisting Jim in his careers in broadcasting and at the FCC, Mary had a distinguished career of her own as a women’s fashion designer.
