William Thomas Piper Sr. (January 8, 1881 – January 15, 1970) was an American airplane manufacturer, aviation businessman, oil industry businessman, and engineer.[1][2] He was the founding president of the Piper Aircraft Corporation and led the company from 1929 until his death in 1970.[3] He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and later became known as "the Henry Ford of aviation".[4][5]
Prior to Piper's successful business career he was an officer in the United States Army serving in the Spanish–American War. He was then in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War I.[6] In total Piper served 18 years in the Army. When he returned from World War I he was primarily an investor and businessman in the oil industry[7] until 1929 when he became an investor in the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation. He went on to purchase the soon-renamed Taylor Aircraft Corporation and head it until reorganizing the company into Piper Aircraft in 1937, eventually seeing tremendous success and becoming a well-known aviation figure of the 20th century.[8] Piper Aircraft sold over 80,000 units when he oversaw the company, cementing Piper as a global aerospace manufacturing power.[9][10][11]
Piper was born on January 8, 1881, in Knapp Creek, New York, Cattaraugus County 8 miles South of Olean, NY. Piper was the second youngest of 5 children of Thomas and Sarah Elizabeth Piper (née Maltby). His father dabbled both in dairy farming and in the promising crude oil business as Piper was growing up often helping his father. By the time he was eight, Piper was milking cows and walking several miles to a one-room country school. At the age of nine he introduced himself to the oil business when he assisted his father in the task of repairing well pumps. When family finances improved, the Piper family moved to Bradford, Pennsylvania.
In 1898 due to the sinking of the USS Maine Piper lied about his age and joined the United States Army. Piper attended Harvard University where he was on the track and field team. He graduated in 1903 with honors with a degree in business and mechanical engineering.[14]
Military and aviation career
Piper J-3 Cub, the company's most influential aircraft
Piper served in the Spanish–American War and World War I, in the latter as a captain in the Corps of Engineers.[citation needed] He made most of his fortune from oil wells. In 1929, he became the original investor in the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation for $400 ($5,647 in 2017 dollars), led then by aircraft designer and aviation entrepreneur Clarence Gilbert Taylor. A year later, during the onset of the Great Depression, the company went bankrupt and Piper bought its assets and reorganized it into the Taylor Aircraft Corporation, keeping Gilbert Taylor on as president. During this period, he sought to manufacture reliable and affordable light aircraft. In 1937, two years after Piper bought out Gilbert Taylor from the company due in part to contentious clashes between the two, he established the Piper Aircraft Corporation and, by 1940, it dominated the light aircraft market. At the time, a Piper Cub and flying lessons cost $1,325 dollars ($19,808 in 2017 dollars). The Piper Cub (which derives from the Taylor Cub) would go on to become the most-produced fabric-covered monoplane in history, with over 20,000 units delivered from 1938 to 1947. Its simplicity, affordability and popularity often invokes comparisons to the Ford Model T.
In 1963, Piper supported Betty Miller's successful attempt to be the first female pilot to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean, during which she delivered a twin-engine Piper aircraft from Oakland, California, USA to Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[15]
Piper died in his home in Lock Haven due to natural causes on January 15, 1970.[16] Just prior to his death, in 1968, Piper's son, William Piper, Jr., took over the company and was appointed president. In 1970, Piper Jr. was also named chairman by the board, and in 1973, Piper Aircraft was sold, moving from Pennsylvania to where it is located today, Vero Beach, Florida.
Ever since 2009 the William T. Piper Scholarship has been awarded nationally to high school students looking to pursue a career within aviation.[23][24]
In popular culture
Piper's appearances in literature, film and theater:
Literature
Mr. Piper and His Cubs (ISBN9780813812502) published in 1996 discusses Piper's founding of Piper Aircraft as well as the design, development and production of the Piper Cub.
Those Legendary Piper Cubs: Their Role In War And Peace (ISBN9780764321597) talks about Piper's involvement in the Cub program and how the aircraft was instrumental in war in the air.
Film
How It's Made, (TV Series) season 26, episode 14 shows how Piper Aircraft build planes, with Piper's legacy discussed.[25][26]
^"Betty Jean Verret Miller Obituary (1926 - 2018) Deseret News". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2021-09-12.
^Krebs, Albin. "William T. Piper, Who Developed the Cub, Dead". Retrieved 2018-11-18.
^"William Piper, Sr". National Aviation Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
^Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN978-1-57864-397-4.
^"William T. Piper Memorial Airport". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
^"Piper Aircraft Announces William T. Piper Scholarship Recipient - Piper". Piper. 2017-05-01. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
^Scholarships.com. "Aiaa William T Piper Sr General Aviation Systems Graduate Award - Scholarships.com". www.scholarships.com. Retrieved 2018-11-18.
^Weber, Harry F. (1944). "William T. Piper, Senior, Leader in the Light-Airplane Industry". Pennsylvania History: A Journal of Mid-Atlantic Studies. 11 (3): 223–229. JSTOR 27766616.
^"William T. Piper Scholarship Recipient Selected | Midwest Flyer – General Aviation Magazine". midwestflyer.com. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
^"Home : The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics". www.aiaa.org. Retrieved 2019-02-11.
^Johanns Media (2014-06-05), Behind the Scenes - Episode #07 - Piper Dakota Documentary, archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2019-02-11
^Christian Sturm (2012-02-24), The Construction of a Light Aircraft (1943), archived from the original on 2021-12-21, retrieved 2019-02-11
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to William T. Piper.
william, piper, other, people, named, william, piper, william, piper, disambiguation, william, thomas, piper, january, 1881, january, 1970, american, airplane, manufacturer, aviation, businessman, industry, businessman, engineer, founding, president, piper, ai. For other people named William Piper see William Piper disambiguation William Thomas Piper Sr January 8 1881 January 15 1970 was an American airplane manufacturer aviation businessman oil industry businessman and engineer 1 2 He was the founding president of the Piper Aircraft Corporation and led the company from 1929 until his death in 1970 3 He graduated from Harvard University in 1903 and later became known as the Henry Ford of aviation 4 5 William T PiperPiper in 1957BornWilliam Thomas Piper 1881 01 08 January 8 1881Knapp Creek New York U S DiedJanuary 15 1970 1970 01 15 aged 89 Lock Haven Pennsylvania U S Resting placeHighland CemeteryOccupation s Businessman and engineerKnown forFounder of Piper AircraftSpouseMaria Theresa Van DeWater m 1910 her death 1937 Children5 William Jr Thomas Howard Mary and ElizabethMilitary careerAllegianceUnited States of AmericaService wbr branchUnited States ArmyYears of service1897 1915Prior to Piper s successful business career he was an officer in the United States Army serving in the Spanish American War He was then in the United States Army Corps of Engineers during World War I 6 In total Piper served 18 years in the Army When he returned from World War I he was primarily an investor and businessman in the oil industry 7 until 1929 when he became an investor in the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation He went on to purchase the soon renamed Taylor Aircraft Corporation and head it until reorganizing the company into Piper Aircraft in 1937 eventually seeing tremendous success and becoming a well known aviation figure of the 20th century 8 Piper Aircraft sold over 80 000 units when he oversaw the company cementing Piper as a global aerospace manufacturing power 9 10 11 Piper was posthumously inducted in the National Aviation Hall of Fame class of 1980 The William T Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven Pennsylvania is named in his honor Piper s son William Piper Jr took over the company after Piper Sr died in 1970 12 At the time of Piper s death in 1970 Piper was worth an estimated 55 million dollars over 347 million in 2017 dollars Piper s net worth would have ranked him within the Forbes 400 richest people in the world at the time of his death 13 Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Early life 1 2 Military and aviation career 2 Death and legacy 3 In popular culture 3 1 Literature 3 2 Film 4 References 5 External linksBiography EditEarly life Edit Piper was born on January 8 1881 in Knapp Creek New York Cattaraugus County 8 miles South of Olean NY Piper was the second youngest of 5 children of Thomas and Sarah Elizabeth Piper nee Maltby His father dabbled both in dairy farming and in the promising crude oil business as Piper was growing up often helping his father By the time he was eight Piper was milking cows and walking several miles to a one room country school At the age of nine he introduced himself to the oil business when he assisted his father in the task of repairing well pumps When family finances improved the Piper family moved to Bradford Pennsylvania In 1898 due to the sinking of the USS Maine Piper lied about his age and joined the United States Army Piper attended Harvard University where he was on the track and field team He graduated in 1903 with honors with a degree in business and mechanical engineering 14 Military and aviation career Edit Piper J 3 Cub the company s most influential aircraft Piper served in the Spanish American War and World War I in the latter as a captain in the Corps of Engineers citation needed He made most of his fortune from oil wells In 1929 he became the original investor in the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation for 400 5 647 in 2017 dollars led then by aircraft designer and aviation entrepreneur Clarence Gilbert Taylor A year later during the onset of the Great Depression the company went bankrupt and Piper bought its assets and reorganized it into the Taylor Aircraft Corporation keeping Gilbert Taylor on as president During this period he sought to manufacture reliable and affordable light aircraft In 1937 two years after Piper bought out Gilbert Taylor from the company due in part to contentious clashes between the two he established the Piper Aircraft Corporation and by 1940 it dominated the light aircraft market At the time a Piper Cub and flying lessons cost 1 325 dollars 19 808 in 2017 dollars The Piper Cub which derives from the Taylor Cub would go on to become the most produced fabric covered monoplane in history with over 20 000 units delivered from 1938 to 1947 Its simplicity affordability and popularity often invokes comparisons to the Ford Model T In 1963 Piper supported Betty Miller s successful attempt to be the first female pilot to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean during which she delivered a twin engine Piper aircraft from Oakland California USA to Brisbane Queensland Australia 15 Death and legacy Edit The Piper family mausoleum located atop Highland Cemetery in Lock Haven where William is interred Piper died in his home in Lock Haven due to natural causes on January 15 1970 16 Just prior to his death in 1968 Piper s son William Piper Jr took over the company and was appointed president In 1970 Piper Jr was also named chairman by the board and in 1973 Piper Aircraft was sold moving from Pennsylvania to where it is located today Vero Beach Florida In 1980 William Piper was posthumously inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame 17 In 1993 Piper was inducted into the International Air amp Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air amp Space Museum 18 The William T Piper Memorial Airport in Lock Haven Pennsylvania is named in his honor 19 20 21 22 Ever since 2009 the William T Piper Scholarship has been awarded nationally to high school students looking to pursue a career within aviation 23 24 In popular culture EditPiper s appearances in literature film and theater Literature Edit Mr Piper and His Cubs ISBN 9780813812502 published in 1996 discusses Piper s founding of Piper Aircraft as well as the design development and production of the Piper Cub Piper Cub Tales ISBN 9780978826031 published in 2012 Flight of Passage ISBN 9780786883158 Those Legendary Piper Cubs Their Role In War And Peace ISBN 9780764321597 talks about Piper s involvement in the Cub program and how the aircraft was instrumental in war in the air Film Edit How It s Made TV Series season 26 episode 14 shows how Piper Aircraft build planes with Piper s legacy discussed 25 26 The Amazing Piper Documentary 27 Light Aircraft in America Documentary 28 References Edit William T Piper American manufacturer Encyclopaedia Britannica Retrieved 2018 11 18 Bill Piper and the Piper Cubs HistoryNet HistoryNet 2006 06 12 Retrieved 2018 11 18 Bill Piper and the Piper Cubs HistoryNet 2006 06 12 Retrieved 2019 02 11 William T Piper Pioneers of Flight pioneersofflight si edu Retrieved 2018 11 18 An Appreciation William T Piper Jr a pleasant man of accomplishment General Aviation News 2007 09 21 Retrieved 2018 11 18 Keller Thomas Piper s legacy in aviation and the military lives on Legacy com Retrieved 2019 02 11 Piper William Thomas Sr National Aviation Hall of Fame Retrieved 2019 02 11 Piper legacy going strong The Daily Item Retrieved 2019 02 11 Piper Aviation Museum named top tourist attraction in county News Sports Jobs The Express Retrieved 2019 02 11 June 24 ohtadmin on 2016 24 June 2016 Piper s Legacy www pabusinesscentral com Retrieved 2019 02 11 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link uncoveringpa 2017 09 25 Exploring the Piper Aviation Museum in Lock Haven Pennsylvania UncoveringPA Retrieved 2019 02 11 June 24 ohtadmin on 2016 24 June 2016 Piper s Legacy www pabusinesscentral com Retrieved 2019 02 06 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint numeric names authors list link The world s richest person in every decade lovemoney com Retrieved 2019 02 06 William T Piper aviation hall of fame bio Betty Jean Verret Miller Obituary 1926 2018 Deseret News Legacy com Retrieved 2021 09 12 Krebs Albin William T Piper Who Developed the Cub Dead Retrieved 2018 11 18 William Piper Sr National Aviation Hall of Fame Retrieved September 3 2012 Sprekelmeyer Linda editor These We Honor The International Aerospace Hall of Fame Donning Co Publishers 2006 ISBN 978 1 57864 397 4 William T Piper Memorial Airport Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Retrieved 2018 11 18 Piper Aircraft Announces William T Piper Scholarship Recipient Piper Piper 2017 05 01 Retrieved 2018 11 18 Scholarships com Aiaa William T Piper Sr General Aviation Systems Graduate Award Scholarships com www scholarships com Retrieved 2018 11 18 Weber Harry F 1944 William T Piper Senior Leader in the Light Airplane Industry Pennsylvania History A Journal of Mid Atlantic Studies 11 3 223 229 JSTOR 27766616 William T Piper Scholarship Recipient Selected Midwest Flyer General Aviation Magazine midwestflyer com Retrieved 2019 02 11 Home The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics www aiaa org Retrieved 2019 02 11 DISCOVERY CHANNEL S HOW IT S MADE FINALIZES FILMING AT PIPER AIRCRAFT Piper 2015 01 30 Retrieved 2019 02 11 Aviation Edition Aircraft retrieved 2019 02 11 Johanns Media 2014 06 05 Behind the Scenes Episode 07 Piper Dakota Documentary archived from the original on 2021 12 21 retrieved 2019 02 11 Christian Sturm 2012 02 24 The Construction of a Light Aircraft 1943 archived from the original on 2021 12 21 retrieved 2019 02 11External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to William T Piper William Piper biography in the Army Aviation Association of America William T Piper at Find a Grave Obituary from The New York Times Piper in the NASM s Pioneers of Flight Gallery Portals biography aviation Pennsylvania United States Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William T Piper amp oldid 1118323035, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
