William J. Powell
William J. Powell | |
---|---|
Born | Henderson, Kentucky, US | July 27, 1897
Died | July 12, 1942 Reno, Nevada, US | (aged 44)
Known for | Aviator, engineer, author |
William Jenifer Powell (July 27, 1897 – July 12, 1942) was an American engineer, soldier, civil aviator and writer who is credited with promoting
Early life
Powell was born in
Career
He was fascinated by flight and applied to the
To complement his work at the club, Powell also established a school to train mechanics and pilots, and published the Craftsmen Aero News, which he claimed to be the first African-American
Bessie Coleman Aero was closed due to financial hardships caused by the Great Depression.[3] In 1934 Powell published Black Wings, a fictionalized account of his own life, through which he aimed to inspire young African Americans to enter aviation not only as pilots, but as designers, engineers and mechanics. He called for them to "fill the air with black wings".[6]
Powell died in 1942, probably due to the effects of his exposure to poison gas in the war.[4] He is buried in the Los Angeles National Cemetery.
References
- ^ a b
Brady, Tim (2000). The American Aviation Experience: A History. SIU Press. p. 344. ISBN 9780809323715.
- ^ "William J. Powell, a pioneer in aviation | African American Registry". African American Registry. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ a b c d e Winter, Elizabeth. "Powell, William J., and the Bessie Coleman Aero Club (1897-1942)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ a b c Lienhard, John H. "BLACK AVIATOR". University of Houston. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Biographical Passage about William J. Powell". National Air and Space Museum. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- ^ "Fact Sheets: William Powell". Hill Air Force Base. May 15, 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
Further reading
- Powell, William J. (1934). Black wings. I. Deach, Jr. OCLC 3261929.
- Powell, William J. (1934). Von Hardesty (ed.). Black aviator: the story of William J. Powell: a new edition of William J. Powell's Black wings. Smithsonian history of aviation series. Smithsonian Institution Press. ISBN 9781560983415.
- Flamming, Douglas (2006). Bound for Freedom: Black Los Angeles in Jim Crow America. George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520940284.
- Hardesty, Von (2008). Black Wings: Courageous Stories of African Americans in Aviation and Space History. HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061261381.