Olive Ann Beech

Olive Ann Beech
Ann Beech, signed November 8, 1945
Born
Olive Ann Mellor

(1903-09-25)September 25, 1903
Waverly, Kansas, U.S.[1]
DiedJuly 6, 1993(1993-07-06) (aged 89)
Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Known forFirst Lady of Aviation,[2][3] Co-founder of Beechcraft[4]
SpouseWalter Herschel Beech
AwardsWright Brothers Memorial Trophy (1980)
National Aviation Hall of Fame (1981)

Olive Ann Beech (September 25, 1903 – July 6, 1993) was an American aerospace businesswoman who was the co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation. She founded the company in 1932 with her husband, Walter Beech, and a team of three others. She earned more awards, honorary appointments, and special citations than any other woman in aviation history and was often referred to as the “First Lady of Aviation”.[3]

  1. ^ Lambert, Bruce; "Olive A. Beech, 89, Retired Head of Beech Aircraft", 7 July 1993, The New York Times Company
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Hess was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Olive Beech", List of Enshrinees, National Aviation Hall of Fame
  4. ^ "51 Heroes of Aviation", Flying Magazine, Bonnier Corp