(WSB Radio) WSB Radio mourns the death Friday morning of Elmo Ellis, who worked for WSB Radio for 40 years and led the radio station for two decades as general manager. Ellis, the winner of numerous awards including the Peabody, spent his entire adult career at WSB, interrupted only for five years by his service in World War II.

"Elmo Ellis was a towering figure, not only at WSB Radio but in the radio industry," says WSB's Mike Kavanagh, who worked for Ellis during the 1970s.

"He invented modern concepts such as 24-hour local news, breaking news reports from the field and early experiments in what is now called talk radio," says Kavanagh, who has documented Ellis's astounding career at the web site WSBHistory.com

Most notable among his accomplishments was Ellis's defense of civil rights in the 1960s. Elmo Ellis spoke out in a series of editorials that guided Atlanta listeners through changing times. His unflinching support for civil rights and his vision of a city that could be an economic beacon for the country were revolutionary concepts in the early '60s. Mr. Ellis realized that WSB Radio could influence people, and he used his series of editorials to help encourage the city's residents to live up to the reputation as "the city too busy to hate." He galvanized support for the programs needed to support economic expansion that allowed Atlanta to surpass all other cities in the South to become the economic capital of the region.

He assigned reporters to cover civil rights meetings and demonstrations. About that decision, Ellis said, "There was some feeling among a lot of the news people of that era in the South that you were giving undue publicity and only helping to inflame a situation. We felt differently. We felt that if you covered [civil rights stories] and you reported it in a responsible, careful and objective manner, you would keep the lines of communication open."

No event would be as trying for Elmo Ellis as the 1968 assassination of Atlanta civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As other cities saw riots and the burning of buildings, Atlanta remained quiet. The primary beacon of communication was WSB Radio, where Elmo Ellis had assembled some of Atlanta's top religious leaders to sit before WSB's microphones to urge calm and peace. Atlanta got through the tragedy with no major problems. Mr. Ellis never asked for any recognition of his role in keeping the peace. When pressed about those historic broadcasts, Ellis would only say that he felt "The more the public knew and understood the situation, the wiser they would respond to it and ...that's what happened in the case of Atlanta."

In 2000, Ellis was honored by his alma mater, the University of Alabama, with the Hugo Black Award. At the presentation, Dr. E. Culpepper Clark, Dean of the University of Alabama's College of Communication & Information Sciences said, "Through WSB Radio, Elmo Ellis transformed Atlanta into a virtual neighborhood long before the Internet ushered in the virtual revolution. The neighborhood he created helped Atlanta embrace the winds of social change that swept the South in the fifties and sixties. It is now hard to imagine Atlanta's progressive spirit without the influence of Elmo Ellis. He was to broadcasting what Ralph McGill was to newspapers--a conscience."

It is fitting that when Georgia Trend magazine came up with a list of the 100 Most Influential People in the Modern History of Georgia, Elmo Ellis was on the list. Yes, he has won every award that a broadcaster can win. Above all that, Elmo Ellis won the respect and love of all those who worked for him. Former News Director King Elliot says he shares a common feeling with all who worked with Ellis.

"I value the lessons Elmo taught me about radio and news, Elliot says. "I value even more highly the lessons he taught me about life, tolerance, and understanding others."

Elmo Ellis died after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife Ruth, his daughter Janet Beerman and his son William Bryan Ellis.

Elmo Ellis was 86 years old.

Services for Ellis will be Monday morning at 11:30 at the Temple and are being handled by Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care. The burial follows at Arlington Cemetery. Friday, 24 June 2005