Olive Ann Beech

Olive Ann Beech (September 25, 1903 – July 6, 1993) was an American aerospace businesswoman who was the co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation. She founded the company in 1932 with her husband, Walter Beech, and a team of three others. She earned more awards, honorary appointments, and special citations than any other woman in aviation history and was often referred to as the “First Lady of Aviation”.

Early life and education Beech was born as Olive Ann Mellor on September 25, 1903, in Waverly, Kansas, to Franklin Benjamin Mellor and Susannah Miller Mellor. Her father was a building contractor. At a young age, the family moved to Paola, Kansas, where she attended school. At the age of seven, she had her own bank account and was given the task of writing checks to pay the family bills at the age of eleven. In 1917, the Mellor family moved to Wichita, Kansas where she skipped high school and began attending the American Secretarial and Business College. At 18, she left Wichita to take a job at an electrical contracting firm in nearby Augusta, Kansas.

Career

Travel Air In 1925, at the age of 21, she was hired by Clyde Cessna and took a job as an office secretary and bookkeeper for the newly formed Travel Air Manufacturing Company in Wichita. After learning the business, she handled correspondence, kept the records, and conducted transactions. She was soon promoted to office manager and secretary to Walter Beech, one of the founders of Travel Air. Walter Beech assumed the presidency of Curtiss-Wright and moved to New York City. On February 24, 1930, they were married at Wichita and she moved to New York.

Beech Aircraft In 1932, following Olive Ann's philosophy, “If you want something, you can do it,” Olive and Walter Beech established Beech Aircraft "with the goal to build the finest airplanes in the world." Walter Beech quit Curtiss-Wright and started Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, naming himself as president, Olive Ann as secretary, Ted A. Wells as vice president of engineering, K. K. Shaul as treasurer, and investor C. G. Yankey as vice president. This was another example of her "Slowly We Go" policy that she had adopted after government contracts were cancelled after World War II and the Korean War. Although piston aircraft sales for Beechcraft were at record highs during the 1960s, her policy would affect the company's late entry into the jet market. In 1980, Raytheon purchased Beech Aircraft and Beech remained as chair while also being seated on the Raytheon board of directors. On December 12, 1980, the U.S. National Aeronautic Association awarded her the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, the highest honor the aviation fraternity bestows, for her contributions to the aviation industry. The following year, she was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Due to lackluster sales in the aircraft industry, in 1982 Raytheon reorganized several divisions and removed Beech and Hedrick from the board of directors of Beechcraft and gave her the title of chairman emeritus. Beech wasn't surprised by the move and remarked, "Mr. Hedrick, we sold the farm. If they don't like us living on it, that is their prerogative." She was inducted into the American National Business Hall of Fame in 1983 and became the first contemporary inductee in the Kansas Business Hall of Fame in 1986.

After retirement from Beechcraft, Beech continued to oversee her personal investments and contribute to various civic and philanthropic projects and was a key supporter of the Wichita Art Association, her church, and Soroptimist International of Wichita.

Beech died in her sleep at her home in Eastborough, Kansas on July 6, 1993. Olive and her husband are buried at Old Mission Mausoleum in Wichita, Kansas.

Legacy In 1973, Beech was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.

In 1974, Beech received the Elder Statesman Award from the National Aeronautical Association (now named the McDonald Distinguished Statesman & Stateswoman of Aviation Award).

In 1994, Beech was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame.

In 1995, Beech was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

In 2013, Beech was listed, along with her husband Walter, as one of Flying Magazine's 51 Heroes of Aviation, ranking at number 31.