Charles Townsend Ludington (also known as Charles T. Ludington or C. T. Ludington; January 16, 1896 – January 19, 1968), was a businessman of

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. He was an aviation pioneer who helped establish an every-hour-on-the-hour air service between New York and Washington.

Early life

Ludington was born to Charles Henry Ludington and Ethel Mildred (Saltus) Ludington in New York City on January 16, 1896. His brothers were Wright S. Ludington and Nicholas. Ludington attended Adirondack School of northeastern New York state and the Haverford School, and graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

in 1919. He also attended the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT). Ludington served in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. After the war, he was involved in various aeronautical enterprises.

Mid-life and career

Ludington was interested in aviation lighting and mail service by air. In 1923, Ludington organized the Ludington Exhibition Company. A

Farman Sport The Farman FF 65 Sport is a French built light biplane, with a single engine and tandem seats, intended for sport and touring. First flown in 1919, it achieved modest sales at home and abroad in the early 1920s. Two unusual modifications produc ...

aircraft he promoted is restored at

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

in Washington, D.C. Ludington helped develop

National Air Transport National Air Transport was a large United States airline; in 1930 it was bought by Boeing. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so Boeing split into three smaller companies, o ...

Camden Central Airport Camden Central Airport (sometimes called Central Airport, Camden, New Jersey, Camden) was an airport in Pennsauken Township, New Jersey, Pennsauken Township, Camden County, New Jersey, United States. It had its peak of activity in the 1930s, se ...

was formally dedicated and opened in September 1929. Ludington offered a line of boats under the Ludington Boats Corporation between 1929 and 1931, that was formerly Ludington Aircraft – Boat Division. Jake Dunnell was a driver. Ludington, his brother, and

Eugene Luther Vidal Eugene Luther Vidal (; April 13, 1895 – February 20, 1969) was an American commercial aviation pioneer, New Deal official, inventor, and athlete. For eight years, from 1929 to 1937, he worked closely with Amelia Earhart in a number of aviatio ...

and Paul F. Collins originated the idea for and invested in

Ludington Airline Ludington Airline (also, Ludington Lines or Ludington Line) was an airline of northeastern United States started on an investment of at least $1,000,000 from Charles Townsend Ludington and his brother. Ludington brochures advertised "Plane Servi ...

. Between the four of them they managed to run

without government mail revenues for a few years. Their venture led to the investigation known as the

Air Mail scandal The Air Mail scandal, also known as the Air Mail fiasco, was a political controversy that erupted in 1934 following a United States Congress, congressional investigation into the awarding of airmail contracts to select airlines. The scandal inte ...

. The Ludington Line was acquired by Eastern Air Transport, later known as

Eastern Airlines Eastern Air Lines (also colloquially known as Eastern) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution, it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in an unincorporated area of Miami-Dade ...

. In 1939 Ludington was the founding president of the

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a Frederick, Maryland-based American non-profit political organization that advocates for general aviation. AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States ...

Personal life

Ludington married Constance Guyot Cameron in 1922; they had three daughters and a son. Their first child was Ethel Saltus, born at Ardmore on May 21, 1923. Their second child was Anne Finley, born at Ardmore on September 26, 1925. Their third child was Constance Cameron, born September 1, 1931. Their fourth child was Charles Townsend Ludington Junior. Ludington was affiliated with the

Merion Cricket Club Merion Cricket Club is a private club which is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1865. The current clubhouse is its sixth, the last four having been designed by Philadelphia architect Frank Furness and his partner, Allen Eva ...

, Racquet Club of Washington, Yale University Club, Santa Barbara Yacht Club, Bayside Yacht Club, Delaware River Yacht Club, Philadelphia Yacht Club, and the Aero Club of Pennsylvania. He was a Republican and a member of the Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church.

Later life and death

Ludington in later life had homes in Miami, Philadelphia and

Old Lyme, Connecticut Old Lyme is a coastal town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, bounded on the west by the Connecticut River, on the south by the Long Island Sound, on the east by the town of East Lyme, and on the north by the town of Lyme. The town ...

. He died at the age of 72 on January 19, 1968.

Works

Ludington's book "Smoke Streams: Visualized Air Flow" was, according to ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', "used for several years as a basic textbook on aero-dynamics".

References

Sources

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