Alfred H. Grebe

Alfred Henry Grebe, Sr. ( ; 1895–October 24, 1935) was a pioneer in the radio broadcasting field.

Early life Grebe was born in 1895 in the Richmond Hill neighborhood of Queens, New York City, to Henry Greb, a horticulturist, and Anna Marie Krick Grebe. At age 12, two years after his father's death in 1905, Grebe began to make his own radios. He converted a greenhouse into a radio shack, where he and other boys also interested in radio met.

Education and career Following his graduation from P.S. 88 in Jamaica, Grebe attended the Jamaica Training School and took courses at the Marconi Radio Institute in Manhattan. At age 15, he obtained a license as a commercial operator and was hired by the United Wireless Telegraph Company as a ship's radio operator. After United Wireless went bankrupt in 1912, Grebe began working for Telefunken and spent three years onboard the British tramp tanker Saranac, traveling as far as India. He returned to Sayville, Long Island, where he worked as an operator at the first commercial station on the island.

Death In 1935 Grebe underwent a stomach operation at Post-Graduate Hospital in Manhattan. He became ill after the operation and died after 10 days.

Legacy In 2017, Grebe was honored as "The Father of NewsRadio880" during a series commemorating the 50th anniversary of WCBS going all news.