Jacqueline Cochran One of the first American aviators Date of Birth: 11.05.1906 Country: USA

1. Biography of Jacqueline Cochran
2. Early Life and Marriage
3. Career and Transformation
4. Aviation Achievements
5. Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and Later Achievements
6. Legacy

Biography of Jacqueline Cochran

Jacqueline Cochran, born Bessie Lee Pittman on May 11, 1906, near Mobile, Alabama, was one of the first American aviators and is considered one of the most talented pilots of her generation. She played a significant role in the formation of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) during wartime and the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). Additionally, in 1953, Jacqueline Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier.

Early Life and Marriage

Jacqueline Cochran grew up in a small town in Florida as the youngest of five children in a family that moved frequently. Despite not being wealthy, her family always had food on the table, and she was not put up for adoption, as sometimes claimed. Jacqueline married Robert Cochran, a young aviation mechanic from the nearby naval base in Pensacola, on November 13, 1920. Four months later, she gave birth to their son. However, four years later, Jacqueline divorced her husband, and tragically, her child died in a fire accident while playing alone in the yard.

Career and Transformation

Jacqueline Cochran started working as a hairstylist in New York City and eventually landed a job in a prestigious salon at the luxurious department store Saks Fifth Avenue. During this time, she transformed from Bessie Cochran to Jackie Cochran. Although Cochran tried to leave her past behind, she maintained connections with her family and supported them financially for many years. Some of her relatives even moved to her ranch in California when Jackie remarried. However, they had to pretend to be her adoptive family to hide her youthful mistakes from the public.

Aviation Achievements

Cochran's interest in aviation began when a friend offered her a plane ride in the early 1930s. She started taking flying lessons and learned to fly in just three weeks. Within two years, she obtained her commercial pilot's license. In 1936, Cochran married Floyd Bostwick Odlum, the founder of Atlas Corp. and the CEO of RKO Studios in Hollywood. He was 14 years older and reputedly one of the ten wealthiest people in the world, being the only person in the United States to amass a fortune during the Great Depression. Odlum was captivated by Jackie and offered her assistance in creating a cosmetics business.

Jacqueline Cochran quickly became involved in air racing and worked towards opening the world of racing to women. By setting a new national women's speed record, Cochran was considered the best female pilot in the United States by 1938. She also became the first woman to fly a bomber across the Atlantic Ocean. Before America entered World War II, Cochran participated in the activities of the organization 'Wings for Britain,' which transported American aircraft to the United Kingdom, and offered her assistance to the Royal Air Force by recruiting qualified women pilots from America to serve in England.

Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and Later Achievements

In September 1940, Cochran wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt with a proposal to create women's units in the American Air Force. She suggested that women pilots could handle most internal flights, thereby freeing more male pilots for combat duties. As a result, she became responsible for the formation of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, which later became the Women's Army Corps (WAC) in 1943. Cochran eventually reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Cochran was also the first woman to take off and land on an aircraft carrier, the first pilot to make a "blind" instrument landing, the only woman president of the International Astronautical Federation from 1958 to 1961, and the first pilot to ascend above 20,000 feet with an oxygen mask. She holds more distance and speed records than any other pilot in the world.

Legacy

Jacqueline Cochran's achievements did not receive the same level of media attention as those of Amelia Earhart, partly due to the public's focus on individuals who died young at the peak of their careers. Furthermore, Cochran's significant wealth and successful business ventures to achieve her goals did not make her popular among audiences. However, she deserves a place on the list of famous women as one of the greatest aviators in aviation history, who consistently used her influence to pave the way for other women in aviation. She also dedicated much of her time and resources to charity, particularly assisting those who, like herself, came from humble backgrounds. Jacqueline Cochran passed away on August 9, 1980, at her home in Indio, California.