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Portrait of Oscar Holmes

Oscar Holmes

1916 – 2001

American pilot, chemist and lawyer

Aircraft pilot Air traffic controllerUniversity teacher
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About Oscar Holmes

Lived 1916 – 2001 (aged 85). Oscar Holmes was an American aircraft pilot, air traffic controller, university teacher, lawyer and chemist.

Oscar Wayman Holmes (31 January 1916 – 5 November 2001) was an American Naval Aviator in World War II and civilian flight controller, the first African-American in each position.

Biography Holmes graduated from Garnet High School in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1932, West Virginia State College in 1936 with a B.S. and Ohio State University the following year with a master's degree in chemistry. He taught chemistry (a subject he did not like not as officers – but once again the authorities assumed he was white. Holmes later admitted he knew about the Navy's policy, "but they didn't ask me and I didn't tell them".

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
West Virginia State University, Ohio State University, Civilian Pilot Training Program, Brooklyn Law School
Employers
Claflin University, Civil Aeronautics Administration
Also known as
Oscar Wayman Holmes, Oscar W. Holmes, Oscar Wayman Holmes Jr.

People in Oscar Holmes's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Oscar Holmes's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Oscar Holmes?

American pilot, chemist and lawyer (1916-2001)

When was Oscar Holmes born?

Oscar Holmes was born on 31 January 1916 in Dunbar.

When did Oscar Holmes die?

Oscar Holmes died on 5 November 2001 in Mitchellville.

What was Oscar Holmes's occupation?

Oscar Holmes was an aircraft pilot, air traffic controller, university teacher, lawyer and chemist.

What nationality was Oscar Holmes?

Oscar Holmes was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Oscar Holmes

· Wikidata: Q104188821

· DBpedia: Oscar Holmes

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Oscar Holmes. https://biography.guide/oscar-holmes/

MLA: "Oscar Holmes." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/oscar-holmes/.

Chicago: "Oscar Holmes." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/oscar-holmes/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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