Hawthorne Charles Gray (February 16, 1889 – November 4, 1927) was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. On May 4, 1927, he succeeded in setting a new altitude record in a silk, rubberized, and aluminum-coated

balloon A balloon is a flexible membrane bag that can be inflated with a gas, such as helium, hydrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, or air. For special purposes, balloons can be filled with smoke, liquid water, granular media (e.g. sand, flour or rice), ...

launched from Scott Field near

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is a southeastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 42,404 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populated city in the Me ...

, reaching a human world altitude record of . This record was not recognized by the FAI because Gray parachuted out of the balloon and did not land with his vehicle as per FAI rules. On November 4, 1927, Gray broke his own record by reaching more than 43,000 ft (13.1 km), but died during his descent after his

oxygen Oxygen is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group (periodic table), group in the periodic table, a highly reactivity (chemistry), reactive nonmetal (chemistry), non ...

supply became depleted. The record was recognized by the

National Aeronautical Association The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the Uni ...

, but not by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale because the dead

aeronaut Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design process, design, and manufacturing of air flight-capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. While the term originally referred ...

"was not in personal possession of his instruments." Gray was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his three ascents on March 9, May 4 and November 4.

Early life and career

Gray was born on February 16, 1889, in

Pasco, Washington Pasco ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Franklin County, Washington, United States. The population was 77,108 at the 2020 census, and estimated at 80,038 in 2023. Pasco is one of three cities (the others being Kennewick and Richland) t ...

.Crouch, p. 595. He was the son of William Polk Gray (1845–1929), a prominent

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in the

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, and Oceana Falkland Bush. Hawthorne Gray was a graduate of the

University of Idaho The University of Idaho (U of I, or UIdaho) is a public land-grant research university in Moscow, Idaho, United States. Established in 1889 and opened three years later, it was the state's sole university for 71 years, until 1963. The un ...

. Gray served as an officer in the

Idaho National Guard The Idaho Military Department consists of the Idaho Army National Guard, the Idaho Air National Guard, the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, and formerly the Idaho State Guard. Its headquarters are located in Boise, Idaho, Boise. The main goal ...

and enlisted in the

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in 1915, serving as an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

in the

Pancho Villa Expedition The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, US Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the para ...

of 1916. Gray was commissioned a second lieutenant on June 2, 1917, and transferred with the rank of captain to what was then the

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

in 1920. He began piloting balloons in 1921. He placed third in the 1926 National Balloon Race and second in the 1926 Gordon Bennett balloon race.

Record-setting balloon flights

On March 9, 1927, Gray set an unofficial altitude record of in a balloon launched from Scott Field, but passed out from hypoxia in the thin air, regaining consciousness only just in time to drop

ballast Ballast is dense material used as a weight to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within ...

and slow his fall after the balloon descended on its own. On May 4, Gray set an unofficial record for highest altitude reached by a human being, as he attained in a balloon over Belleville. Because of the rapid descent of the balloon, Gray parachuted out at , disqualifying him from recognition by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which required that the balloonist land with his craft. On November 4, Gray attempted to set an official record. He rose at about 4 mph (6.4 km/h), half the speed he used for his March 9 flight. Between and 34,000 ft (10.4 km) Gray threw over an empty oxygen cylinder for ballast, and the canister snapped his radio antenna, cutting him off from the ground. After reaching an altitude of 40,000 ft (12.2 km), he lost consciousness. His final journal entry read “Sky deep blue, sun very bright, sand all gone.” His dead body was found in the balloon basket in a tree near Sparta, Tennessee, the next day. The balloon's

barograph A barograph is a barometer that records the barometric pressure over time in graphical form. This instrument is also used to make a continuous recording of atmospheric pressure. The pressure-sensitive element, a partially evacuated metal cylinde ...

s showed that Gray had reached a height between 43,000 (13.1 km) and 44,000 ft (13.4 km). There were various theories about the cause of Gray's death. He may have severed his oxygen hose accidentally while cutting open bags of sand ballast. It is also possible that Gray became too cold and tired to open the valve on one of his oxygen tanks, or that an internal organ was ruptured by decreasing pressure. Aeronaut Albert Leo Stevens believed that Gray died during descent or on impact. The Scott Field board of inquiry which investigated Gray's death concluded that he died because his clock stopped, causing him to lose track of his time on oxygen and exhaust his supply. Gray was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and buried in

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

.Burial Detail: Gray, Hawthorne C (section 4, grave 2601)
– ANC Explorer His widowed wife and three remaining sons received his Army Air Corps insurance and $2,700, the equivalent of six months’ pay.

Personal life

Gray was married to Miriam Lorette Maddux. They had a son, John Maddux Gray, who died when he was a year old. Gray was survived by his widow and three other sons.

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gray, Hawthorne 1889 births 1927 deaths Accidental deaths in Tennessee American aviation record holders American balloonists Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Balloon flight record holders Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Deaths from hypoxia Flight altitude record holders Idaho National Guard personnel People from Pasco, Washington Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States) United States Army officers University of Idaho alumni Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1927