Commercial Aviation Pioneer and Founder of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). A 1921 graduate of Yale, he broke off his studies in 1918 to enlist in the US Navy as a pilot. He successfully completed his training and was assigned to a reserve unit as an Ensign, but did not see combat before the War ended. After graduation, he founded Long Island Airways in 1922 as an air taxi service for the wealthy. He then founded Colonial Air Transport in 1926 for service from New York to Boston and then the company that would become Pan Am in 1926 to serve the Caribbean. The company quickly grew in size and service area. The 1930s brought the famous Pan Am Clippers, flying boats used for transoceanic service. He is also credited as being a force behind the development of the first pressurized passenger airplane, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, as well as the Boeing 707 and 747 and was a pioneer in the creation of lower cost "tourist" fares that allowed him to carry out his goal of bringing air travel to the masses. He retired as president of Pan Am in 1968. After his death, President Reagan awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 1985. He appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in July, 1933. He was married with four children.
Commercial Aviation Pioneer and Founder of Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). A 1921 graduate of Yale, he broke off his studies in 1918 to enlist in the US Navy as a pilot. He successfully completed his training and was assigned to a reserve unit as an Ensign, but did not see combat before the War ended. After graduation, he founded Long Island Airways in 1922 as an air taxi service for the wealthy. He then founded Colonial Air Transport in 1926 for service from New York to Boston and then the company that would become Pan Am in 1926 to serve the Caribbean. The company quickly grew in size and service area. The 1930s brought the famous Pan Am Clippers, flying boats used for transoceanic service. He is also credited as being a force behind the development of the first pressurized passenger airplane, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, as well as the Boeing 707 and 747 and was a pioneer in the creation of lower cost "tourist" fares that allowed him to carry out his goal of bringing air travel to the masses. He retired as president of Pan Am in 1968. After his death, President Reagan awarded him the Medal of Freedom in 1985. He appeared on the cover of Time Magazine in July, 1933. He was married with four children.
Bio by: Kenneth Gilbert
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