By the time the King Air rolled off the assembly line on September 9, 1964, Olive Ann Beech had been holding the reins of the company she and her husband Walter had co-founded in 1932, for nearly 15 years. Due to his untimely death in 1950, Olive stepped up and led the company to a level of success that is worthy of much recognition. Earning her many awards and citations to her contribution to aviation. She is fondly remembered as “The First Lady of Aviation.”
Olive Ann Mellor attended a Wichita business school and studied bookeeping. At 17, she began working for Travel Air learning the business from the ground up and eventually became the personal secretary of owner Walter Beech. “For God’s sake, why don’t you marry that girl?” was the question that came from Clyde Cessna upon urging Beech to marry Olive. On February 24, 1930 Walter and Olive wed and that is where the adventure truly began.
By 1932 they sank their savings into what would go on to be a hallmark of quality and innovation, Beech Aircraft. By Walter’s side Olive went on to learn even more about design and the manufacturing of aircraft. His creative abilities blended with her business sense was the recipe of success that would eventually land them recognition as one of only two couples inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
A keen business savvy prompted Olive to suggest entering a woman in the transcontinental Bendix Trophy Race of 1936 to show the ease of handling of the couples aircraft – the Staggerwing. Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the race, beating out accomplished male pilots in 15 hours. This victory brought attention to the female pilots, the Staggerwing and Beech Aircraft all around the globe.
Stepping up to the plate was not something Olive was unfamiliar with. Walter fell ill in 1937 when the companies success was on the rise. His illness coincided with the needs of aircraft for the military due to World War II. Olive had to make serious financial decisions that would involve her arranging funds in the amount of $83 million dollars to expand the company for the warplane production. The expansion proved a wise move enabling Beech Aircraft to meet the needs of the military. In fact the company produced over 7,400 military aircraft by time the war was over. Beech Aircraft was the go to company in terms of production and training planes for pilots. Olive had kept the company going until Walter had recovered. Upon his return the company had gone from a few hundred employees to over 14,000.
In 1950, Walter suffered a fatal heart attack and Olive took official control of the company. She was elected President and Chair of the Board of Directors. This also made her the first woman to ever be the head of a major aircraft company.
Her sense of quality and innovation stayed the course as the Korean War put a demand for more miltary aircraft. Olive and her employees answered the call.
Olive even sensed a need for diversity, which led to development of high-altitude supersonic targets for the Department of Defense, training targets for the Army, tactile drones for the Air Force, and low-altitude Sea Skimmers for the Navy. This creative drive also led Beechcraft into the Space Age. Developing a research and development facility for cryogenic systems for NASA that would allow liquified hydrogen and oxygen for use as rocket fuels. Storage systems for the Apollo Spacecraft landings were also a result of Beechcraft.
Along with military and space program accomplishments, Olive Beech still had to meet the needs of the commercial industry. Increasing the line of commercial aircraft from three in 1951 to nine in 1964. These new models, theTravel Air, Queen Air, Debonair, Baron, Musketeer and King Air led the way in corporate jet production. In 1976 production of the pressurized Baron, the Advanced King Air and several commercial additions emerged.
Her list of awards and accomplishment is so long that there is no way to possibly mention them all. She earned the title of “The First Woman of Aviation” because she has earned more awards, honorary appointments, and special citations than any woman in aviation history.
Leading until her retirement in 1982 she was elected Chairman Emeritus of the company she and her husband founded.
Olive Ann Mellor Beech passed away July 6, 1993 at the age of 89 years in her home in Witchita, Kansas.
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