Foltz, Edith, 1902-1956
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.
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
John and Alan Blum Northwest Aviation Collection
The John and Alan Blum Northwest Aviation Collection consists of visual and textual materials related to the lives and careers of John and Alan Blum. John founded the Northwest Air Service Company and Alan served as President after his brother died in a plane crash in 1931.
Dorothy (Hester) Stenzel Collection
Dorothy (Hester) Stenzel (1910-1991) was born in Ardenwald, Oregon and learned to fly in the late 1920s. Stenzel then gained fame for stunt flying and broke several records through the mid-1930s. The collection contains seven (7) scrapbooks and assorted textual materials and photographs that document Stenzel's career as one of the first female stunt pilots.
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