Marvel Crosson (April 27, 1900 – August 19, 1929) was a pioneer aviator, and the first female pilot to earn a commercial license in the

Territory of Alaska The Territory of Alaska or Alaska Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States from August 24, 1912, until Alaska was granted statehood on January 3, 1959. The territory was previously Russian America, 1784–1867; th ...

. She worked in both California and Alaska, dying in a crash during the first

Women's Air Derby The Women's Air Derby was the first official women-only air race in the United States, taking place during the 1929 National Air Races. Humorist Will Rogers referred to it as the Powder Puff Derby, the name by which the race is most commonly know ...

. She was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.

Early life

She was born to Esler Crosson and his wife Elizabeth Wynant Crosson in

Warsaw, Indiana Warsaw is a city in and the county seat of Kosciusko County, Indiana, United States. Warsaw has a population of 13,559 as of the 2010 U.S. Census. Warsaw also borders a smaller town, Winona Lake. Etymology Warsaw, named after the capital of P ...

, the hometown of Elizabeth Crosson. Her brother Joe was born in

Minneapolis, Kansas Minneapolis is a city in and the county seat of Ottawa County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,946. History The community was originally called Markley's Mills, and under the latter name was laid ...

, where the family lived on a ranch. Another sister Zelma was born later. The family relocated to

Sterling, Colorado Sterling is a home rule municipality and the county seat and most populous municipality of Logan County, Colorado, United States. Sterling is the principal city of the Sterling, CO Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city population was 13,7 ...

Aviation career

In 1922, the Crosson family moved to

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

. Marvel and Joe became fascinated with aviation and together bought their first airplane, a

Curtiss N-9 The Curtiss Model N was a military trainer used primarily by the United States Navy during World War I. Design and development The Model N was a two-seat biplane similar to the Model J, differing in the airfoil and placement of the ailerons, wh ...

. Joe Crosson moved to the

to take a job as a pilot. Marvel followed soon afterwards, and earned her commercial pilot's license there, the first woman in the territory to do so. She joined her brother in his business, piloting and keeping the equipment in working order. She helped her brother transport a monoplane from San Diego to New York for

Hubert Wilkins Sir George Hubert Wilkins MC & Bar (31 October 188830 November 1958), commonly referred to as Captain Wilkins, was an Australian polar explorer, ornithologist, pilot, soldier, geographer and photographer. He was awarded the Military Cross afte ...

. After working as a commercial pilot in Alaska, Marvel returned to California. She set an altitude record of on May 28, 1929, while piloting a

Travel Air The Travel Air Manufacturing Company was an aircraft manufacturer established in Wichita, Kansas, United States in January 1925 by Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Lloyd Stearman. History The company initially built a series of sporting and ...

Jet J-5.

Death

Marvel Crosson died on August 19, 1929, when her airplane crashed in the

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

desert on the second day of the Women's Air Derby that had begun in California. Her body was found several hundred feet from her plane. Crosson's parachute had been released, but was unopened, possibly indicating that she was too near the ground for it to work properly after being released. She was entombed at Greenwood Memorial Park in

. Race sponsor National Exchange Club held a nationwide moment of silence in all its clubs to commemorate Crosson's death. A vacant chair represented Crosson at a banquet for the Women's Air Derby in Cleveland, Ohio. She was inducted into the Alaska Women's Hall of Fame in 2011.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Crosson, Marvel 1900 births 1929 deaths Aviators from Alaska Aviators from Kansas Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Sports deaths in Arizona Burials at Greenwood Memorial Park (San Diego) People from Warsaw, Indiana People from Minneapolis, Kansas Commercial aviators American aviation record holders American women commercial aviators American women aviation record holders Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1929 20th-century American women

Early life

Aviation career

Death

See also

References