Born in Sherman County, Oregon, Herbert Edwin “Ed” Morrow lived on a farm in Oregon until his early twenties. He studied to become a machinist, but moved to San Diego in 1922 to learn how to fly. He never intended to work in the aviation industry, but his mechanical and ironworking skills were sought after. Morrow was a dedicated worker for Ryan Aeronautical, and he was a key member of the team that built the Spirit of St. Louis. He built the aircraft with precise specifications and requirements and he had to personally fit some of the parts on the plane under the direct supervision of Lindbergh himself. Morrow was the last Ryan employee to say goodbye to Lindbergh before his famous flight. Ed Morrow supposedly was the only Ryan employee to receive two “thank you’s” from Lindbergh – one before the flight, and one during the celebration afterwards. Morrow was also a roommate of Douglas Corrigan – the “Wrong-Way” pilot – who flew from New York to Ireland.

Morrow retired in El Cajon, California. He was an important figure in designing and rebuilding the replica of the "Spirit of St. Louis" from memory for the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Ed Morrow passed away on December 7, 1994 in San Diego.

Link to the collection's Descriptive Finding Guide.

Link to the collection's images on Flickr.