Foltz, Edith, 1902-1956
Person
Biographical Note
Edith (née Magalis) Foltz (1902-1956) was the first female transport pilot in Oregon and the fifth female transport pilot in the United States.
Edith (née Magalis) Foltz was born on August 17, 1902 in Dallas, Texas. She was introduced to flying in a roundabout manner, but took to it quickly earning her license in the mid 1920s. Foltz participated in the Women's Air Derby in 1929, earning second place. She continued to race into the 1950s.
Circa 1930, she founded the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Women's National Aeronautic Association with Dorothy Hester Stenzel and Edna Christofferson. Foltz was also active in the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an all-female pilot association.
During World War II, Foltz was recruited by Jacqueline Cochran to join the Air Transport Auxiliary of the Royal Air Force (RAF), where she served from 1942 until 1945. Post-war, she returned to the United States and became a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.
She married Joseph Foltz, circa 1919-1922 and the couple had two sons. By 1939 she had married Harry Stearns, who passed circa 1946. Foltz married again in 1947 becoming Edith Grissom (her husband's first name is unknown).
Edith (née Magalis) Foltz died on June 27, 1956.
Edith (née Magalis) Foltz was born on August 17, 1902 in Dallas, Texas. She was introduced to flying in a roundabout manner, but took to it quickly earning her license in the mid 1920s. Foltz participated in the Women's Air Derby in 1929, earning second place. She continued to race into the 1950s.
Circa 1930, she founded the Portland, Oregon chapter of the Women's National Aeronautic Association with Dorothy Hester Stenzel and Edna Christofferson. Foltz was also active in the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Ninety-Nines, an all-female pilot association.
During World War II, Foltz was recruited by Jacqueline Cochran to join the Air Transport Auxiliary of the Royal Air Force (RAF), where she served from 1942 until 1945. Post-war, she returned to the United States and became a flight instructor at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.
She married Joseph Foltz, circa 1919-1922 and the couple had two sons. By 1939 she had married Harry Stearns, who passed circa 1946. Foltz married again in 1947 becoming Edith Grissom (her husband's first name is unknown).
Edith (née Magalis) Foltz died on June 27, 1956.
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Biographical Information Files - S
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Individuals whose names begin with S: Sachs, Donald G. [Aeronautical engineer, B-17 pilot] Brief resumeObituaries, 1998 Saint Exupery, Antoine de [Pilot, author] "The Spirit of Saint-Exupery," no source, undated"Wind, Sand and Wars," Air & Space, December 1994/January 1995 Sakai, Saburo [WWII Japanese fighter...