Reuben H. Fleet
Reuben H. Fleet | |
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Culver Military Academy |
Reuben Hollis Fleet (March 6, 1887 – October 29, 1975) was an American
Birth and early career
Fleet was born on March 6, 1887, to Lillian Waite and David Fleet in
At 15, Fleet attended
Deciding against going to Stanford immediately, in 1907 Fleet returned home, where he took the state teachers examination and began teaching all grades from first through eighth. After a number of months, Fleet set himself up as a
In 1908, with a loan from Montesano State Bank for $1500, Fleet began investing in local real estate, which would eventually culminate in Fleet owning large tracts of timberland which he would subdivide and parcel out, often for railroad
In March 1911, Fleet, a captain of a National Guard company, was ordered with his men to quell a civil disturbance organized by the
Army career
Anticipating the entry of the United States into
During the war in Europe Fleet was the executive officer for Flying Training, Signal Corps Aviation Section, stationed in Washington, D.C., with temporary duty in England. His commanding officer was Colonel 'Hap' Arnold.
In May 1918 Fleet was tasked with setting up the first scheduled
Fleet was in charge of the airmail service in 1918 when the famous 24-cent
Fleet's next assignment was as the Army Air Service's chief aviation contracting officer, part of the Engineering Division, based at McCook Field. There he played key roles in the development of the turbocharger for aero applications and the testing of a number of other aviation innovations, including the Loening PW-2A, the first American pursuit monoplane, and the de Bothezat helicopter. Fleet performed some of the flight testing himself.
Fleet was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his service at McCook Field. With post-war budgets slashed and commissioned officers being reduced one rank Fleet felt he'd gone as far as he could in military aviation. On 30 November 1922, Thanksgiving Day, Fleet, his superior officer and the chief of the Power Plant Section announced to the press that they were resigning.
Consolidated years
Upon resigning his commission Fleet accepted a position with
Exploiting Fleet's experience in Army flight training, Consolidated produced a popular military training aircraft, the
In November, 1941 Fleet elected to sell a majority of his shares in Consolidated to Vultee Aircraft. The resulting company, Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, became known as Convair.[5] He continued on in the role of adviser and consultant for five more years. He also became a private consultant for Franklin D. Roosevelt.[6]
Consolidated went on to become a key supplier of
In August 1946, Fleet and his sister, Lillian, bought a parcel of land in Montesano and donated it to the city for use as a park named in honor of their parents. The city subsequently renamed Second Street to Fleet Street in their honor.[7]
Retirement and philanthropy
Leaving Consolidated, Fleet divided his time between his landmark home in
In 1961 Fleet founded the
In 1965 Fleet was invested in the
In the early 1970s, Fleet largely funded construction of The Bishop Center for Performing Arts at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen, Washington, in honor of E. K. "Ned" and Lillian Fleet Bishop. Lillian was Fleet's sister, and "Ned" Bishop, a logging tycoon in western Washington state, was an early investor in Consolidated Aircraft. The Bishops left their fortune to a foundation that funds operation of the Bishop Center.
The Reuben H. Fleet Space Theatre, now the
In 1975, Reuben was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. [11]
Personal life
Fleet married Elizabeth Girton on April 29, 1908, and they settled in Montesano, Washington. They had two children, Phyllis Fleet and David Girton Fleet; David later became an executive with Consolidated and a real estate developer, creator of the upscale
Fleet died in
References
- ^ "Reuben Hollis Fleet". National Postal Museum. Retrieved October 23, 2012.
- ^ New York Times. Associated Press. October 30, 1975. Retrieved 2012-10-29.
Reuben H. Fleet, an aircraft pioneer, early airmail-service pilot and later an aircraft manufacturer, died today in a hospital here from injuries he suffered in a fall. He was 88 years old. ...
- ^ ISBN 0-8168-7950-8.
- ^ "Inverted Jenny $2.00". Archived from the original on 2015-10-28. Retrieved 2016-10-30.
- ^ "Vultee." centennialofflight.net, 2003. Retrieved: 26 August 2010.
- ^ ISBN 978-0760339138.
- ^ The Vidette, August 29, 1946
- ^ Williams, Jack (March 25, 2005). "Dorothy Fleet, 69; last surviving child of aircraft giant". San Diego Union Tribune, archived via Wayback Machine. Archived from the original on 2014-11-01. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.
- ^ "Fleet History". Fleet Science Center. 12 February 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
- ^ "Enshrinee Reuben Fleet". nationalaviation.org. National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
- ^ "Preston Fleet, 60; Fotomat Founder". Los Angeles Times. February 3, 1995. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ "Reuben H. Fleet timeline". Consolidated Aircraft. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2013.
- ^ San Diego Union-Tribune
Further reading
- William Wagner (1976). Reuben Fleet: and the story of Consolidated Aircraft. Fallbrook, CA: Aero Publishers. ISBN 0-8168-7950-8.