Though revered Managing Editor Bernard "Barney" Kilgore had the idea to expand The Wall Street Journal into a national paper, it was Mr. Ackell who provided the initial know-how to make it happen and inspired numerous other news organizations to follow his lead.
An inventive genius described as reclusive and efficient, Mr. Ackell joined Dow Jones & Co. in 1919 as a stenographer in the advertising department. His true passion, however, was tinkering.
By 1929, he was director of manufacturing and had developed a high-speed ticker capable of receiving 60 words per minute. Around the same time, he also oversaw the development of an automated mailing machine that could fold, wrap and mail both The Wall Street Journal and Barron's.
In 1953, his Elector-Typesetter was introduced. It was step one in what eventually would become a national network capable of producing identical papers at numerous locations around the country.
During his 47-year tenure with Dow Jones & Co., the Brooklyn, N.Y., native held many titles, including general manager of the division of research and planning, assistant general manager and business manager. He was also a member of the executive committee from its inception in 1945.
Mr. Ackell died in 1982 at 76.