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Archives at The Museum of Flight


Boeing, William Edward, 1881-1956

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1881-1956

Biographical Note: William E. Boeing

William E. "Bill" Boeing was an aviation pioneer who founded The Boeing Company in 1916.

William Edward Boeing, Sr. was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 1, 1881 to Marie Ortmann and Wilhelm Böing. After leaving Yale University in 1903, Boeing relocated to Washington state to go into the lumber business. In 1909, he saw a manned flying machine for the first time and a new interest was born. Boeing took flying lessons from Glenn Martin at the Martin Flying School in Los Angeles, California and bought a Martin aircraft. His interest grew and, in partnership with his friend, U.S. Navy Commander George Conrad "G.C." Westervelt, he decided to build an aircraft. This resulted in the B & W biplane seaplane, also known as the Boeing Model 1, which was such a success that Boeing decided to go into the aircraft business.

He purchased Heath Shipyard along the Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington, later to be known as the "Red Barn" or Boeing Plant 1, and began manufacturing aircraft. During World War I, Boeing Airplane Company built 50 planes for the United States Navy. After World War I, Boeing earned contracts to supply air mail service. Air mail service grew and later added passenger service, which evolved into United Airlines.

In 1929, Boeing helped form United Aircraft and Transport Corporation, which bought several small airlines and merged them into United Air Lines. In 1934, due to the Air Mail Act and post-Depresson legislation that required the dispersion of the corporation, Boeing sold his interests in the Boeing Airplane Company but continued to work on other business ventures, spending most of his time involved in property development and the breeding of thoroughbred race horses.

In 1921, Boeing married Bertha Marie Potter Paschall (1891-1977). A year later, the couple had their son, William E. "Bill" Boeing, Jr. (1922-2015). Bill Boeing, Sr. remained in the Seattle, Washington area until his death on September 28, 1956.

Sources and Further Reading:

Boeing. "Executive Biography of William E. Boeing." Accessed October 23, 2019. https://www.boeing.com/history/pioneers/william-e-boeing.page

Wikipedia. "William E. Boeing." Last modified October 17, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Boeing

Found in 7 Collections and/or Records:

John and Alan Blum Northwest Aviation Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2009-09-04
Abstract 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.

Boeing Company B-52 and 707 photographs

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 1990-06-15-24
Contents of the Collection The collection contains thirty-eight (38) black-and-white 11x14" photographs from the Boeing Company Historical Archives which relate to the March 18, 1954 Boeing B-52 Stratofortress ceremony with General Nathan Twining; Boeing 707 production; and one photograph of a photograph depicting a 1919 Boeing mailplane first flight from Vancouver to Seattle, Washington. Duplication occurs.Some photographs have a handwritten H-number on the reverse of image, but the bulk do not have...

William E. Boeing Sr. Papers

 Collection
Identifier: 2005-10-06-B
Abstract William E. Boeing, Sr. (1881-1956) was an aviation pioneer and founded The Boeing Company in 1916. The collection holds textual materials, such as correspondence, philately, business-related materials, clippings, and ephemera, as well as photographs and illustrations related to his personal and business life, circa 1783-2008. Major areas of interest include family photographs and extensive personal and business-related correspondence.

William E. Boeing Model 40B photographic poster

 Collection — oversize: folder
Identifier: 2007-11-10
Contents of the Collection The collection consists of one (1) 20x30" black-and-white photographic poster featuring the Boeing Model 40B (Tail number C 286), circa 1920s-1930s. The poster is cardboard-backed and has "W. E. Boeing [as before?] [illegible] 11.00 [Hoge?] 1128" handwritten in pencil on the reverse. The aircraft is in flight with unidentified mountains behind it and has "U.S. Mail C.A.M. 18" printed on the fuselage next to the Boeing Air Transport logo.

The James H. Dilonardo Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2006-01-21
Abstract James H. Dilonardo was a local aviation enthusiast strongly tied to Boeing Field and The Museum of Flight. His collection consits of photographs, textual materials, sound recordings, and film largely related to aviation in Seattle, Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

Jerry MacDonald Boeing Correspondence Collection

 Collection — Box: One
Identifier: 1987-08-25
Contents of the Collection The Jerry MacDonald Boeing Correspondence Collection consists holiday greeting cards and letters sent by the Boeing family to the MacDonald family in the early 20th century. The collection includes 14 custom-designed greeting cards for Christmas and New Year's ranging from 1929-1931 as well as some undated cards; three handwritten letters and one typed letter from 1925-1930; 1 empty envelope, undated; one undated map of Washington State and southern Britsh Columbia; one 1906 photograph of the...

Steve A. Stimpson Photograph Album

 Collection
Identifier: 1986-03-25
Abstract Steve A. Stimpson was a manager for Boeing Air Transport in the 1920s-1930s. The collection contains one hundred and fifty-two (152) black-and-white photographs in an unbound photograph album documenting early United Airlines history.

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