David E. Harris: Difference between revisions

David Ellsworth Harris (born December 22, 1934) is the first African American hired as a commercial airline pilot by a major U.S. commercial airline. In 1967, Harris became the first African American man to achieve the rank of Pilot Captain at a major U.S. commercial airline.

Early Life, Education, Personal Life

Harris was born on December 22, 1934 in Columbus, Ohio. He was the son of Ruth A. Estis Harris and Walter R. Harris. Raised in an integrated neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, Harris attended University School, a private high school.

Harris attended Ohio State University, graduating 1957 with a B.S. degree in education. While a student at Ohio State, authorities rejected Harris twice for Ohio States’ advanced Air Force ROTC program because of Harris’ race. After eventually obtaining admittance, Harris rose to the rank of cadet colonel.

Harris married Lynne Purdy Harris. They have two children.

U.S. Military Career

In 1958, Harris joined the U.S. Air Force after receiving a Reserve Officers Training Corps commission as a 2nd Lieutenant.

After attending Air Force basic flight training in Orlando, Florida, Harris graduated from advanced flight training at Big Spring, Texas where he flew Boeing B-47 Stratojets. The U.S. Air Force later assigned Harris across the U.S., including Maine, Texas, New York and Florida. The U.S. Air Force also assigned Harris to an airbase in England where U.S. forces maintained military vigilance against the Soviet Union. He flew the nuclear-armed B-47 and the B-52 for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) during the Cold War.

After struggling with race-based housing discrimination during his U.S. Air Force assignments, Harris left the military on December 1, 1964 to better support his wife and two children. He was discharged with the rank of Captain.

Pioneering Commercial Airline Career

Before leaving the U.S. Air Force, Harris interviewed with several major U.S. commercial airlines for a pilot’s job to no avail, denied employment based on his race. A a light- complexioned African American who could possibly be construed as passing, Harris closed all of his application letters with the declarative statement: “I’m married, I have two children and I’m black.” In 1964, Harris interviewed with American Airlines. To avoid what Harris deemed to be an inevitable denial based on his race, Harris informed the interviewer that he is American American. The chief pilot conducting the interview responded: “This is American Airlines and we don’t care if you’re black, white or chartreuse, we only want to know, can you fly the plane?”

On December 3, 1964 - two day after leaving the U.S. Air Force, Harris became the first African American hired as a commercial airline pilot for a major U.S. commercial airline, American Airlines. After completing American’s nine-week training, Harris became an American Airline co-pilot.

In 1967, Harris became the first African American man to achieve the rank of Pilot Captain for a major U.S. commercial airline.

During his career at American Airlines, Harris operated numerous commercial aircraft including the Boeing 747, Boeing 727, Boeing 767, Airbus 300, DC-6, DC-7, Lockheed Electra, the BAC 111, and the MD-11.

Harris flew for American Airlines for 30 years. He retired in 1994. A year after American Airlines hired Harris, Western Airlines hired African American pilot Fred Pitcher and United Airlines hired African American pilot Bill Norwood. Eventually, other airlines would hire African American pilots including Eastern Airlines’ Les Morris, TWA’s John Gordon, Delta Airlines’ Sam Grady, Northwest Airlines’ Woodie Fountain, DHL’s Irvory Carter, and Pan Am’s M. Perry Jones.

Friendship with Civil Rights leader Whitney Young

In 1967, Harris met civil rights leader and National Urban League executive director Whitney Young on one of Harris’ flights in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Harris came out of the cockpit and introduced himself to Young, thanking Young for helping African Americans get jobs in various fields including aviation.    

Four years later, Young drowned in Lagos, Nigeria while attending an international conference. Young’s wife, Margaret, asked American Airlines to locate the African-American pilot Young has met years earlier and select him as the charter pilot to fly her husband’s remains back to the U.S. When American Airlines offered an all-African-American flight and cabin crew, Margaret balked: "That's not the way of the Urban League. It should be black and white together." Honoring Margaret’s wishes, Harris flew Young’s body from Lagos, Nigeria, to New York City, New York.

Post-Retirement

Harris has resided in Beverly, Massachusetts and in Country Haven, an Airpark/fly-in community near Trenton, South Carolina. He flies a single-engine Socata Trinidad at Country Haven.

Memberships

Harris served as the President of the Organization of Black Airline Pilots (OBAP). He has also retained his membership with the Negro Airmen International (NAI).

Honors

• The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum features Harris and his uniform, hat and other memorabilia in its “Black Wings in Aviation” exhibit.
• The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum inFort Worth, Texas features Harris in its permanent exhibit.
• During a ceremony honoring Harris as the first African American commercial airline pilot, Harris remarked: I'm honored and humbled by this award … but the reality is that there were 500 pilots Tuskegee Airmen who were qualified for airline jobs when they left the service. None of them received an opportunity to sit in a cockpit. There is no way I should be the first; it should've happened long before 1964."