Elrey B. Jeppesen was an aviation pioneer and pilot noted for his contributions in the field of air navigation.

Elrey Borge Jeppesen was born in Lake Arthur, Louisiana on January 28, 1907, to Jens Hansen Jeppesen and Petrea Marea (Petersen) Jeppesen. Both of his parents had immigrated to the United States from Denmark. Shortly after he was born, the family, including Jeppesen’s older brother Edward, moved to Oregon and eventually settled in the Portland area where EBJ attended Portsmouth School and Roosevelt High School.

Jeppesen’s interest in flight began at an early age. When he was 14, he received his first ride in an airplane, a Curtiss JN-4D Jenny. From that moment he knew that he wanted to learn how to fly and he eventually dropped out of high school to pursue a job at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington. It was there that EBJ took his first lessons in flying from Basil Russel in Curtiss Jenny. EBJ became acquainted with Tex Rankin, a Portland-based aviator, when Jeppesen began delivering newspapers and had Rankin's house on his route. EBJ was sure to always stop at Rankin's home last to try to meet him and eventually it paid off. In 1925, EBJ became employed by the Tex Rankin Flying Cirus as a ticket taker, prop turner, barnstormer, and wing walker. In 1928, EBJ received his first pilot’s license, which was signed by Orville Wright.

Following his employment with Tex Rankin, Jeppesen worked in Mexico from 1928-1930 for Fairchild Aerial Surveys in the photographic mapping division where he was tasked with taking aerial photographs of the country's coastline. In 1930, Jeppesen began flying airmail as a reserve pilot for Boeing Air Transport. He flew for several years with Boeing, Varney Air Lines, and United Air Lines Transport Corporation, before they merged into United Air Lines, Incorporated. While flying with United Air Lines, in 1935, Jeppesen met his future wife, stewardess Nadine Liscomb. On September 24, 1936, the two were married in Dunlap, Iowa. Nadine became a major part of the creation and development of Jeppesen and Company, the business that they founded and built together.

During World War II, while still under contract with United Airlines (UAL), Jeppesen served in the Army Air Corps in the Air Transport Command as a Second Lieutenant. He returned to his work with UAL in 1945. He retired from United Airlines as a senior pilot in 1954.

During his airmail days in the 1930s, while flying the Cheyenne, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah route, Jeppesen began assembling a book of handwritten notes to help him navigate the different destinations along this often-dangerous route. Because there were not a lot of aeronautical charts available to pilots at the time, pilots often had to rely on road maps, railroad tracks, and other landmarks for navigation. Jeppesen felt that this was not enough information needed to safely navigate the sky and began compiling information that he felt would allow him to return home safely each night. He would often scale silos, smokestacks, and even mountains with three altimeters strapped on his body to get accurate measurements which he would then add to what became known as his “Little Black Book.” In this book he would also note the telephone numbers of farmers in the area, whom he would phone ahead to get local weather reports.

Finding a demand existed for his navigational information, he founded Jeppesen and Company in 1934 to sell what he had collected. He began his company in the basement of his Salt Lake City home and began producing and selling the Jeppesen Airway Manual. The company expanded over time and in 1961 Jeppesen sold his business to Times-Mirror Company. Jeppesen maintained his status as a board member and stayed involved in the operation of the company.

Throughout his career and following his retirement, Jeppesen remained active in several different aviation organizations. He received awards throughout his life for his many contributions to flight safety, including an induction into the United States National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1990 and an Honorary Degree from the University of Denver in 1991. In 1994, the Denver International Airport honored Jeppesen by naming its main terminal after him. As of 2005, there was a large bronze statue of Jeppesen in the terminal along with a small exhibit on his life.

Nadine and EBJ had two children together, Jim and Richard.

Elrey Borge Jeppesen passed away on November 26, 1996, in Denver, Colorado.

Biographical note derived from collection materials and Whitlock, Flint and Terry L. Barnhart. Capt. Jepp and the Little Black Book: How Barnstormer and Aviation Pioneer Elrey B. Jeppesen Made the Skies Safer for Everyone.

1907 January 28

Lake Arthur, Louisiana

Elrey B. Jeppesen born

1925

Began work with Tex Rankin's Flying Circus as a ticket seller, prop twister, and wing walker

1928

Received first pilot's license signed by Orville Wright

1929

Joined Fairchild Aerial Surveys as pilot and manager of foreign photographic mapping division in Mexico City

1930

Joined Boeing Air Transport (forerunner of United Airlines) as an airmail pilot with rank of captain

1934

Salt Lake City, Utah

Jeppesen and Company was formed

Published first Jeppesen Airway Manual

1936 September 24

Married Nadine Liscomb

1950 April 15

Awarded Certificate of Pilot Merit from American Aviation Magazine

1954

Retired as a senior pilot with United Air Lines

1961

Sold Jeppesen and Company to Times-Mirror Company

1963

Received the Silver Wings Association Achievement Award

1965 October 13

Los Angeles, California

Received the National Business Aircraft Association Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation

1966

Retired as President of Jeppesen and Company

1970 November 10

Denver, Colorado

Enshrined in the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame

1971 November 16

Denver, Colorado

Received the Distinguished Service Award from Federal Aviation Administration

1990

Dayton, Ohio

Enshrined in the United States National Aviation Hall of Fame

1991 August 16

Denver, Colorado

Received Honorary Doctor of Public Service from the University of Denver, Colorado

1993 March 10

Denver, Colorado

Received the Coors American Ingenuity Award

1994 March 9

Denver, Colorado

Jeppesen Terminal, Denver International Airport -- opened

1994 October 23

Denver, Colorado

Received the George Washington Honor Medal of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge Award

1995 March 11

San Diego, California

Enshrined in the International Aerospace Hall of Fame of the San Diego Aerospace Museum

1995 September 14

Las Vegas, Nevada

Received the Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award from the Traffic Control Association

1995 September 28

Montreal, Canada

Received the Edward Warner Award from the Council of the Internation Civil Aviation Organization

1996 November 26

Denver, Colorado

Elrey B. Jeppesen passed away

Nadine A. Jeppesen was an early flight attendant (stewardess) for United Airlines and contributed to the field of air navigation as a co-founder of Jeppesen and Company.

Nadine Audrey (Liscomb) Jeppesen was born on September 14, 1914, in Boyer Township, Iowa to Georgia M. Ferrill and Chauncey E. Liscomb.

Nadine moved to Omaha, Nebraska where, in 1934, she received her nursing license and began training as a stewardess. After completing her training, Nadine began working as a stewardess for United Airlines on the Boeing Model 247 aircraft. It was during this time that she met her future husband, Elrey B. Jeppesen. The two were married on September 24th, 1936.

After marrying EBJ, due to corporate policy, Nadine was no longer able to work as a United Airlines stewardess. She joined him on a business venture creating a flight chart business called Jeppesen and Company. While Jeppesen had been developing the Jeppesen Airway Manual based off his “Little Black Book” since 1934, the company really took off when they established a business plan in the basement of their home in Salt Lake City, Utah. While EBJ remained a pilot with UAL, Nadine took over much of the administrative work. She hired cartographers, helped design and write the copy for promotional procedures, and took charge of accounting and billing. In addition, Nadine traveled with EBJ to collect data to include in the manual. In 1939, Nadine was voted one of the directors of the Salt Lake City chapter of the Women's National Aeronautic Association.

The couple moved to Denver, Colorado in 1941, where Nadine managed the storefront for the Jeppesen Flight Chart store on East Colfax Avenue. She remained with the company until it was sold in 1961 to Times-Mirror Company.

Nadine was awarded the 1994 National Aeronautic Association's Katharine Wright Award, and in 1995 was inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame.

Nadine and EBJ had two children together, Jim and Richard.

Nadine A. Jeppesen passed away on June 10, 1996, in Denver, Colorado.

Biographical note derived from collection materials.

1914 September 14

Boyer Township, Iowa

Nadine Audrey (Liscomb) Jeppesen was born

1934 December 17

Nebraska

Received Registered Nursing License from the State of Nebraska

1935

Began working as a stewardess for United Airlines

1936 September 24

Dunlap, Iowa

Married E.B. Jeppesen

1961

Denver, Colorado

Left Jeppesen and Company once it was sold to Times-Mirror Company

1994

Received the National Aeronautic Association's Katharine Wright Award

1995 March

Inducted into the Women in Aviation Pioneer Hall of Fame

1996 June 10

Denver, Colorado

Nadine A. Jeppesen passed away

Jeppesen and Company was established by Elrey B. Jeppesen in 1934 to produce and sell an airway manual based off of his “Little Black Book” to other pilots and airline companies. The “Little Black Book” was a journal that EBJ had begun assembling while flying the Cheyenne, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah route as an airmail pilot in the early 1930s. The book contained handwritten notes to help him navigate dangerous flight routes. During this time, there were not many published aeronautical charts available to pilots. Most often, while flying, they had to rely on road maps, railroad tracks, and other landmarks. EBJ spent many years compiling useful information that focused on the safety of navigating the sky. Pilots soon began requesting copies for their own use, which he sold for ten dollars each. The manual became so popular that he started his own business to publish the Jeppesen Airway Manual.

EBJ and his wife, Nadine Jeppesen, formalized Jeppesen and Company in the basement of their Salt Lake City home. In 1941, they moved the company from Salt Lake City to Denver, Colorado. The business initially focused on selling the Jeppesen Airway Manual to United Airlines, but the company quickly expanded. The company landed contracts with the United States Navy, and also collaborated with the Civil Aeronautics Administration in the 1940s to develop standard instrument approach procedures. Along with the navigational charts and procedures, Jeppesen and Company began producing large-scale color-relief maps.

Some milestones for the company include publishing the first United States ILS (instrument landing system) approach charts in the 1930s; VOR (very high frequency omnidirectional range station) approach charts in the 1940s; High Altitude enroute chart in 1950s; standard approach charts and departure charts in the early 1960s; as well as RNAV (area navigation) approach charts in the 1970s. The company produced navigational information in a wide variety of paper-based and electronic formats, and also published airport information, flight planning services, computerized weather charts and pilot training materials.

In 1957, the company expanded overseas and opened an office in Frankfurt, Germany. Jeppesen and Company was acquired by Times-Mirror Company in 1961 and the company merged with Sanderson Films in 1974 to form Jeppesen Sanderson. In 2000, the company was bought by The Boeing Company.

The Times-Mirror Company was an American newspaper and print media publisher that began in Los Angeles, California in 1884 and ran until 2000. In 1958, the Times-Mirror Company acquired Sanderson Films, a major developer of pilot training systems. The company purchased Jeppesen and Company in 1961. The two acquired companies were merged together in 1974 to form Jeppesen Sanderson.