Do you remember when I told you about Kay Daugherty? The aviatrix that taught Amelia Earhart, and wowed the folks from the California Skies way back at the dawn of the 20th Century (1920s). And, for whom the Long Beach Airport (LGB) is named?
Well today I will share the tale of yet another pioneer. Ruth Bancroft Law. Ruth Law landed at Governor’s Island (from Chicago) way back in November 1916- setting the long distance record for Americans in flight. (She had modifed her Curtiss biplane, adding a 37 gallon tank to the 16 gallons with which the plane was constructed.) About two years later, she was flying over DC to bring awareness about World War I (dropping leaflets advertising Liberty Loans) to the USA. She wanted the opportunity to fight against the Germans (in her plane) but the Wilson administration wasn’t going to let a woman see battle. (A tradition that long obtained in the USA.)
Ruth first took to the skies 9 years after the Wright Brothers completed their very first flight in Kitty Hawk. She bought her first plane from Orville himself. And, was known as the “Queen of the Air”.
Think about this other exploit. Ruth flew her plane (a Curtiss biplane) from the top of the Washington Monument on the Mall – corkscrewing all the way to barely 10 feet from the ground. To flip over her plane and skirt the tops of the streetcars and trees of the surrounding area. Someone doing that now would clearly spend the rest of their life in jail.
Ruth Law was the first woman to ever loop the loop, the first to fly at night- and that long distance record from Chicago to New York was hers. She formed her own air circus, Ruth Law’s Flying Circus, (like the Daugherty’s), and continued mesmerizing crowds until her husband, Charles Oliver, (by then she was Ruth Law Oliver) announced her retirement in 1922. Without her permission.
It would be another 6 years until Amelia Earhart flew her transatlantic flight.
Ruth Law died 1 December 1970, at the age of 83.
I love your history lessons.
I’m glad you take the time to read them, Mary!
It’s hard to imagine the lives of these first pioneers. At that time (Nov 1916) of the landing at Governors Island, women had never legally voted in New York State. And most of these pioneers – forgotten to most. Thank you for telling these stories.
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Glad to oblige, Alana!
Hopefully, these stories can inspire our next generation to take the chance to lead the way.
No, I would not take off in that, LOL! But wow, that spiral around the monument is impressive. Thanks for telling her story.
Like my friend Kay inspired me and my kids, this lady’s exploits were most impressive, Jeanine!
Hi Roy,
These are some interesting historical facts.
I am wondering how long Charles Oliver lived after declaring Ruth’s retirement?
Doug:
You are projecting today’s values upon yesterday’s living. Other than a few folks (one of my deceased clients comes to mind) who told their spouses to take a long leap off a short dock, divorce or offing one’s spouse was not the realm of the coin back then. She stayed married and on the ground until she died. (OK. Her husband did die before her…)
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That she formed her own Flying circus is truly cool and inspirational and that corkscrew flight – wow! I know I am going to read more about her with my daughter who loves to read about people like Ruth. And it is sad she had to stop because of marriage (unfortunately, we still hear of cases like this today.. )
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You should both look up Dougherty (in the index), too. Because Kay was another pioneer- and she’s the one who taught Amelia Earhart how to fly. She and her husband had their own circus, too. (And, the Long Beach, CA airport is named after them both!)
What a great history lesson. Ruth sure had a loop-d-loop time! Congrats on completing the January challenge!
Yes, Martha, that must have been a most interesting flight segment. I am not sure I wouldn’t have ‘tossed my cookies’.