Jacqueline Cochran - Spring Semester Project
Jacqueline Cochran, whose given name was Bessie Lee Pittman, ran a multi-million dollar company, broke numerous aviation records and was the first woman to become involved in piloting programs. Just as Mary Curie, Amelia Earhart, and Susan B. Anthony are appreciated names that define an era, there are also underrated historical figures such as Jacqueline Cochran that should be acknowledged.
Cochran, born on May 11th, 1906, was the youngest of five children of Ira Pittman and Mary Grant in Muscogee, Florida. She began working at cotton mills to support her family for fourteen years. In Between that time, she had moved to Georgia, married Robert Cochran; yet after their son unfortunately passed …show more content…
Cochran won, ultimately encouraging her to enter into aviation competitions and events. In 1934, she entered her first contest called the MacRobertson London-to-Australia race. This began her multiple enrollments for races, in which she will have won several competitions in ’38, ‘39, ’40 and ‘41. This will have earned her to travel to England to scrutinize the "Wings for Britain" program, a system that ferried American built aircraft to Britain. During World War II, 1943, she was delegated to the General Staff of the U.S. Army Air Forces to instruct all stages of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. Jacqueline's last major milestone was in 1953 when she broke a speed and distance record. She received an award for the accomplishment, becoming the first woman to break the sound barrier and also hold more speed and distance records than any pilot in history. Jacqueline’s other awards consist of the Women‘s National Aviation Association award for being a superior woman pilot, the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945 for the work she achieved while head of the WASPs, and fourteen of the Harmon Trophies for being the best female
Jacqueline Cochran, whose given name was Bessie Lee Pittman, ran a multi-million dollar company, broke numerous aviation records and was the first woman to become involved in piloting programs. Just as Mary Curie, Amelia Earhart, and Susan B. Anthony are appreciated names that define an era, there are also underrated historical figures such as Jacqueline Cochran that should be acknowledged.
Cochran, born on May 11th, 1906, was the youngest of five children of Ira Pittman and Mary Grant in Muscogee, Florida. She began working at cotton mills to support her family for fourteen years. In Between that time, she had moved to Georgia, married Robert Cochran; yet after their son unfortunately passed …show more content…
Cochran won, ultimately encouraging her to enter into aviation competitions and events. In 1934, she entered her first contest called the MacRobertson London-to-Australia race. This began her multiple enrollments for races, in which she will have won several competitions in ’38, ‘39, ’40 and ‘41. This will have earned her to travel to England to scrutinize the "Wings for Britain" program, a system that ferried American built aircraft to Britain. During World War II, 1943, she was delegated to the General Staff of the U.S. Army Air Forces to instruct all stages of the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program. Jacqueline's last major milestone was in 1953 when she broke a speed and distance record. She received an award for the accomplishment, becoming the first woman to break the sound barrier and also hold more speed and distance records than any pilot in history. Jacqueline’s other awards consist of the Women‘s National Aviation Association award for being a superior woman pilot, the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945 for the work she achieved while head of the WASPs, and fourteen of the Harmon Trophies for being the best female