CURTISS MANSION - Key Persons
Famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell invited Curtiss to join the Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) in 1907. Curtiss turned to airplanes after Bell's man-carrying motorized kite was deemed a failure. Curtiss became an enthusiastic flyer, and after the AEA disbanded in 1909, established his own airplane company in Hammondsport, New York. The second airplane company that Curtiss established, the Curtiss Aeroplane Company, became the world's largest aircraft manufacturer during World War I. earning Curtiss the title of "Father of American Aircraft Manufacturers." The most widely produced model during the war was Curtiss's JN-4, "Jenny," used to train US pilots. Additionally, he developed an airplane that could land on water for the US Navy and teaching the first US Naval aviators to fly, becoming the "Father of Naval Aviation." After a business set-back, the Curtiss Aeroplane & Motor Company was formed with a Wall Street syndicate, with Curtiss as president. The Curtiss NC-4 "Flying Boat" crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1919, making the first transatlantic crossing in the history of our country. When the company underwent major financial reorganization in 1920, Curtiss relocated to southern Florida and extended his efforts to real estate. As William M. Leary wrote in American National Biography, "Curtiss stands in the forefront of American aeronautical pioneers, second only to the Wright brothers in historical significance."
Blanche Stuart Scott, student of Glenn Curtiss and later called the "Tomboy of the Air," was the first woman to fly in public in the US on Sept. 2, 1910 when the plane's throttle block "accidently" slipped out of place and she "soared" to 150 feet.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Treasurer
- Vice President
Job Titles:
- Architect
- Aviation Pioneer before Becoming a Land Developer
- Student of Glenn Curtiss
Glenn Hammond Curtiss was a world famous aviation pioneer before becoming a land developer in South Florida. Born in 1878 in Hammondsport, New York, Curtiss was a contemporary of the Wright Brothers. Like them, he was interested in bicycles as a young man, and opened a bicycle repair shop in 1900. Intrigued by speed, Curtiss turned to motorcycles and designed a machine with a lightweight, high-power engine. He founded the G.H. Curtiss Manufacturing Company in New York in 1902, and began producing the Hercules motorcycle. After setting world records for motorcycle racing (he became the "fastest man in the world" in 1907 when he sailed past all previous records at a speed of 136.36 MPH on a motorcycle of his own invention on Ormond Beach, FL), his company drew the attention of aeronautical
Glenn H. Curtiss is considered the "Architect of Aviation," "The Henry Ford of Aviation," "Father of American Aircraft Manufacturing," and "Father of Naval Aviation." His contributions to aviation history in this country are unparalleled. Glenn H. Curtiss was designated a Great Floridian by the State of Florida's Secretary of State in 2000, and has been labeled "an incurable Florida addict." Despite his short
In 1909, Curtiss won the Gordon Bennett Cup in Rheims, France with an average speed of 46 MPH, and earned the honor of France's pilot license #2. (#1 was issued to French pilot Louis Bleriot.)
In 1910, Curtiss won the third leg of the Scientific American Trophy in his Hudson Flyer, which gave him permanent possession of the trophy, the $10,000 prize, and established the practical value of the airplane after flying from Albany, NY to New York City.
lifetime, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by the US Congress for his work during World War I and is credited with 400 patents and over 500 inventions.
Glenn Curtiss is known as "The Father of Naval Aviation" for his joint efforts with the US Navy and his pioneering designs of the seaplane and flying boats that allowed for take off and landing on naval ships.
Glenn Hammond Curtiss inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame with this notations - "Glenn Curtiss is considered the most influential man in the evolution of aviation. His keen insight into aeronautics and aviation, despite having no formal education past eighth grade, affirms his genius. He holds the Collier Trophy and the Langley Medal."
Glenn Curtiss taking some time out with his son, Glenn, Jr. circa 1914.
Glenn Curtiss "retires" to Florida and heads to the beach for a little relaxation.
Glenn Curtiss on board his invention, Scooter, a shallow-draft boat with an aircraft propeller that was the precursor of Curtiss's invention - the airboat - the perfect craft for skimming across the Florida Everglades.
Job Titles:
- President of the Board of Directors