Linious McGee

Linious "Mac" McGee (March 23, 1897 – June 13, 1988) was an American aviation pioneer and founder of McGee Airways, the predecessor company to Alaska Airlines.

Biography McGee was born in Francesville, Indiana, on March 23, 1897.

In 1929, in the midst of the Great Depression, with no money or prospects, he sneaked aboard the steamship and made the trip to Seward, Alaska as a stowaway. He went to Anchorage and worked for the Standard Oil Distributor driving a delivery truck. an early day Alaska bush pilot to purchase a three-seat Stinson airplane from Varney Airlines in San Francisco. which was one of the first air services in Anchorage. McGee Airways grew into a fleet of seven black and silver Stinson airplanes. In 1934 he sold the company to rival Anchorage-based competitor Star Air Service for $50,000 and managed the combined operation for several years before going into mining. Star Air Service became financially unstable after McGee left, and he was called back to manage the company again.

After leaving Star for the last time, he returned to mining, and retired to the "lower 48." He died in Reno, Nevada, on June 13, 1988.

McGee Airways became part of Star Air Service which through a long series of mergers and acquisitions became Alaska Airlines in 1944.