Sherrie S. McLeRoy - Texas Women First: Leading Ladies of Lone Star History

Published by The History Press

Charleston, SC 29403

www.historypress.net

Copyright 2015 by Sherrie S. McLeRoy

All rights reserved

First published 2015

e-book edition 2014

ISBN 978.1.62585.240.3

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014953384

print edition ISBN 978.1.62619.714.5

Notice: The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. It is offered without guarantee on the part of the author or The History Press. The author and The History Press disclaim all liability in connection with the use of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever without prior written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

To Bill, always.

CONTENTS

AUTHORS FOREWORD

I hope you enjoy this brief look at some of Texass women of achievement. Many books have been written on the subject in recent yearsperhaps you will be intrigued enough by the sketches here to learn more about them or to visit museums and historic sites associated with them.

In selecting entries, I have chosen a mix of famous, not so famous and Ive never heard of her. And finding photographs or images of some of these ladies has been a challenge! A few are represented only by a photo and caption, not because theyre unimportant but because of word and space limitations.

A few words about Texas history: its big, and its complicated. Six Flags over Texas doesnt just mean amusement parks; those flags actually represent the countries or entities that have laid claim to this land since the sixteenth century. For example, Texas was Spanish far longer than it has been American. Heres a quick rundown: Spain, France, Mexico, Republic of Texas, Confederate States of America and United States of America.

Discover these leading ladies of Texas!

SHERRIE S. MCLEROY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

So many people have helped make this book possible, giving generously of their time and knowledge to help me find elusive facts and photographs. Thank yall so muchI would have torn out a lot more of my hair without you! (Listings are alphabetical by institution.)

Dennis Miller at the Abilene Public Library; Geoff Hunt at Baylor Universitys Texas Collection; Margaret L. Schlankey and Aryn Glazier at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History; Heather Castagna and Amanda Rush at the Doss Heritage Center in Weatherford; Danny Gonzalez at the Borderlands Collection of El Paso Public Library; Betty Shankleagain!in the Genealogy/Local History Department of the Fort Worth Public Library; Pat Mosher at the Gonzales County Archives; Michael Gilmore of the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas; Timothy Rouk and Joel Draut at the Houston Metropolitan Research Center; Patricia A. Wilkins at Huston-Tillotson University in Austin; Sarita B. Oertling in the Moody Medical Library at the University of Texas Medical Branch (who turned out to have been a fellow staffer at Galveston Historical Foundation); J.P. McDonald at the Museum of East Texas (who turned out to share a birthday with me!); Kate Igoe at the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum; Phyllis Earles at Prairie View A&M University; Ron Vinson at the Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat, North Carolina; Robin Shackelford at the Rockwall County (Texas) Historical Foundation; Travis Bible at Galvestons Rosenberg Library and Galveston/Texas History Center; Kathy Daniels at the University of Michigans Sindescue Museum of Dentistry; Tiffany Wright at the Smith County (Texas) Historical Society; Caitlin Bumford at the State Bar of Texas Archives; Pilar Baskett and Robin W. Arnold at Texas A&M University Libraries; Ryan Grammer at the Texas Horse Racing Museum and Hall of Fame in Selma, Texas; Sherlynn Kelley at the Texas Sheriffs Association; John Anderson at Texas State Library and Archives; Liz Ballard at the Texas Rose Festival Association; Mollie Moore Chapter (Tyler) of the United Daughters of the Confederacy; Dreanna Belden and University of North Texas Libraries; Deidre Martin at the University of South CarolinaAiken; Dayna Williams-Capone at the Victoria (Texas) Public Library; Elizabeth Higgins and Julie Ledet at the Witte Museum in San Antonio; the Archives and Library at the Womans Club of Fort Worth; Bethany Ross and Kimberly Johnson at the Womans Collection of Texas Womans University; Ann Bleiker at the Womens Professional Rodeo Association; Cathy Spitzenbergeragain!at the Special Collections Department of the University of TexasArlington; and Tom Shelton at the University of TexasSan Antonio/Institute of Texan Cultures.

Chapter 1

AERONAUTICS

YOUNGEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD TO RECEIVE AN AIRPLANE PILOTS LICENSE: MARJORIE STINSON (18951975)

Flowing brunette locks, demure ruffled dresses and a sweet expression gave no hint of the steel that drove Marjorie Stinson to great heights as a pioneer aviatrix.

Her role models were elder sister Katherine, who became the fourth American woman to earn a pilots license (1912), and their adventurous, modern-thinking mother, Emma Stinson. The two led the family from Alabama to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where they opened Stinson Aviation Company. In 1913, the Stinsons moved to San Antonio, Texas, drawn by its good weather and the beginnings of American military air service there, and established a flight training school. The following year, Marjorie, only seventeen, traveled alone to Dayton, Ohio, to train at Orville and Wilbur Wrights school. The Wrights took one look at the young woman and demanded her mothers written permission first. Forty-eight days later, she became the ninth American woman and the youngest in the world to earn her wings. Marjorie joined the Stinson family firm as a flight instructor at a time when relatively few American women were in business and none could vote.

War broke out in Europe in 1914, and armies were in need of pilots for new aeronautical combat. In the first few years of the war, Marjorie trained at least one hundred cadets who later joined the British Royal Flying Corps or the U.S. Army Air Corps. Her students nicknamed her the Flying Schoolmarm and proudly called themselves the Texas Escadrille. In 1915, she was named the first and only female member of Americas Aviation Reserve Corps.

Marjorie Stinson (third from left) with a group of U.S. Army officers visiting an unknown airplane hangar in 1918. Photo LC-H261-29956, courtesy of Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

Marjorie also traveled the air show circuit, thrilling crowds with Waldo Pepperstyle stunts that sometimes failed; in a 1916 event, her plane fell one hundred feet, and rescuers had to pull her from the heap of blood spattered splinters. In another act, Marjorie dropped sandbag bombs onto simulated warships. An ardent suffragist, she also frequently airdropped right-to-vote literature in towns she visited.

In 1928, she left professional flying to become a U.S. Navy aeronautical draftsman. She also helped organize the Early Birds Club, composed of pilots such as Fokker, Sikorsky and Marjorie herself who began flying before December 17, 1916. Marjorie retired in 1945 and spent the rest of her life researching a book on the history of aviation. She never completed it.

The Flying Schoolmarm died in 1975. Her ashes were airmailed back to San Antonio and dropped over Stinson Field, the site of the familys school.