Our Founder

Dr. Elaine Murray Stone (Music, Letters)

January 22, 1922 - October, 2005

Dr. Elaine Murray Stone was born and raised on Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, where from the age of five, she studied piano with well-known musicians. She attended Ashley Hall in Charleston, South Carolina from 1935 to 1939, studied at the Julliard School of Music, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the New York College of Music. Elaine was a Licentiate of Trinity College in London and in 1985 was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Communications from World University in Benson, Arizona. She has been listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who in America, and Contemporary Authors.

Elaine married her childhood sweetheart, F. Courtney Stone, just before he left for the Battle of the Bulge. After his return from war, the couple had three daughters: Catherine (Rayburn), Pamela (Webb), and Victoria (Mattson).

Elaine's first book, Taming of the Tongue, was published in 1954, soon after Elaine and her family moved to Florida. She published 24 more books, most of them winning prizes from State and National Pen Women Conventions, National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Space Coast Writers' Guild.

For 30 years, Elaine conducted choirs and played the organ at various churches in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, and gave private piano and organ lessons. Her choral works were performed at many churches around the United States, and she played her original piano works at concerts. She accompanied the Strawbridge Ballet on its national tour.

Elaine was the organizing president of the Cape Canaveral Pen Women Branch of the National League of American Pen Women in 1969 and served the branch as president five times. She also served as president of the Dallas Branch of NLAPW and as Florida state chaplain and first vice-president. Elaine also started Chapter XVII of the Colonial Dames.

Elaine's articles have been published in a variety of magazines and newspapers. In 1990 her book, Tekla and the Lion, won first place, and another book, Kizito, Boy Saint of Uganda, received second place at the National Pen Women Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Also in 1990, her essay "Carter G. Woodson," won first place in the 14th Annual Black History Contest in Atlanta, Georgia. She won five awards from the Space Coast Writers' Conferences in 1992, 1994, and 1996 and was named 1996 Distinguished Author of the Year.

In 1992, Elaine's book Christopher Columbus won first prize at the National Pen Women Conference in Washington, D.C. and first prize from the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1997 her book Maximilian Kolbe; Saint of Auschwitz was on the Catholic Best Seller list. In 1997 the Melbourne branch of the American Association of University Women honored Elaine as a "Woman of Achievement."

Elaine's orchestral work, The Christopher Columbus Symphony, was performed by the Florida Space Coast Philharmonic, the Brevard Community Band, and the Space Coast Pops. Her cantata, The Two Crowns of St. Maximilian Kolbe, had its world premiere in 1998 in San Francisco. Her duet for piano, Pastorale, was performed at Lincoln Center, NY in 1999 and at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. in 2000.She performed parts from both works on a television documentary about her life and music on Poland's national TV station, playing on the late Arthur Rubenstein's piano.

In addition to her music and writing career, Elaine served for 14 years as host and producer of the Time-Warner television show, Focus on History. She was listed in Marquis' Who's Who in Entertainment, and was a member of ASCAP. Elaine was also a realtor, a member of De Colores, a Stephen Minister for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church a member of the Third Order of Franciscans, and donated to many organizations for the poor.

Elaine was the daughter of Colonel H. and Catherine Murray-Jacoby and had a younger sister, Beatrize (Cayzer). The Colonel was a diplomat and special ambassador for President Herbert Hoover. Catherine organized the DAR Chapter of Del Ray, Florida.

Elaine was married for 41 years to Courtney Stone, a WWII veteran, skier, mountaineer, and aeronautical engineer at Cape Kennedy 

Back to About