Boeing, William Edward, 1881-1956
Dates
- Existence: 1881 - 1956
- Usage: 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 12 Collections and/or Records:
Biographical Information Files - B
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.
Boeing Company B-52 and 707 photographs
William E. Boeing Sr. Papers
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
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.
Wilhelm Böing letters
The collection contains six handwritten letters ranging from February 26, 1869 to April 18, 1883 between William E. Boeing, Sr. (WEB) and his father, Wilhelm Böing. It is not always clear who is writing to whom in the letters, since father and son shared the same name. Additionally, not all of the letters have accompanying envelopes which could provide clarification based on the address. The letters are in German and have not been translated.
William Hough "Bill" Cook Jr. Papers
The William Hough “Bill” Cook, Jr. Papers are comprised of documents, photographs, newspaper clippings, and memorabilia pertaining to the life and work of Bill Cook, Jr. A significant portion of this collection is made up of correspondence, both personal and professional. Major topics include the Boeing high speed wind tunnel, the B-29, B-47, and B-17 bombers, the development of the YC-14 short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft, and research on supersonic transport.
The James H. Dilonardo Collection
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
Steve A. Stimpson Photograph Album
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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