Thomas E. Stone

Thomas E. Stone (July 31, 1869 – June 26, 1959) was an American civil servant who served as Chief Usher of the White House in Washington, D.C., from 1901 to 1909. Beginning in 1912, Stone worked as an Internal Revenue agent for the United States Department of the Treasury, where he won national acclaim for breaking major crime rings and capturing individuals who had fled from justice. He helped set up enforcement of Prohibition in several states in 1920, and helped break the largest illegal alcohol production ring in the United States in 1925. He served in a wide variety of positions with the Bureau of Prohibition, including chief of the 7th District (covering Maryland and the District of Columbia) from 1929 until his retirement in 1934.

Early life and White House years Stone was born in Leonardtown, Maryland, He was educated in the local public schools. He held a number of jobs, none of them important or lasting for very long. He subsequently oversaw all of McKinley's Pullman trips (except for the fatal final one). Dubois' health did not improve, however, and in late December 1901 he asked to be transferred to an executive branch department. Stone was the first individual to have the official title of "Chief Usher" bestowed on him throughout his tenure.

In 1902, the usher staff was greatly expanded. The North Portico was closed as a public entrance and now served only for official guests and visitors. The usher's office, which was adjacent to the Entrance Hall, no longer could control the influx of visitors, so the usher staff, as well as White House police force, was almost doubled to handle the new duties. Stone supervised the dozen or so "inside" officers on the police force.

Stone left the Chief Usher's position on March 5, 1909, when he was appointed Doorkeeper to the President of the United States. He replaced Major Charles D.A. Loeffler, who had been Doorkeeper since 1869.

Leading Prohibition enforcer Stone left the White House in 1912 due to poor health, and became an Internal Revenue agent with a roving commission with the United States Department of the Treasury. Stone was assigned to track him down. He succeeded in doing so (although Booth died of a heart attack before standing trial). and supervising national prohibition agent His position as supervising agent was abolished in 1921, and he was placed in charge of the Atlanta division of the Income Tax Unit. Stone remained in that position at least until 1924. When mass corruption was uncovered in the Wisconsin district in 1924, Stone left Atlanta and was appointed Acting Director of Prohibition for the state, where he remained at least until the end of the year.

On April 1, 1925, Assistant Secretary Lincoln Clark Andrews reorganized the enforcement districts, creating 24 districts organized along the same geographic lines as the federal district courts. Stone was named director of the Tenth District. His work was publicly praised by Senator William S. Kenyon (R-Iowa), a member of the National Commission on Law Observance and Enforcement which was formed in 1931 to investigate Prohibition enforcement efforts. In August 1925, Stone led a raid in Cleveland, Ohio, that broke the Superior Industrial Alcohol Co. Stone resigned this position in early August 1926.

Congress reorganized Prohibition enforcement efforts on March 3, 1927, with the Bureau of Prohibition Act. The act established a new Bureau of Prohibition in the Department of the Treasury, to be overseen by the existing Commissioner of Prohibition. As part of this reorganization, an enforcement district covering just the state of Michigan was created. Stone was appointed administrator for Michigan and for a time took up residence in the city of Detroit. As part of his work as Supervisory Prohibition Agent in Baltimore, Stone was in charge of issuing alcohol withdrawal permits. He was unsuccessfully sued for denying such permits in 1930.

Retirement and death Stone remained in the 7th District as Supervisory Prohibition Agent until his retirement in 1934.

Thomas E. Stone died at the age of 89 from natural causes at his home in Washington, D.C., on June 26, 1959. He was survived by his son, Thomas E. Stone, Jr., and his daughter, Evelyn Stone Thomaides. He was interred at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suitland, Maryland.