William T. Piper, perhaps more than any other single person, introduced flying and airplane ownership to the general public. After serving in the Spanish-American War, he went on to graduate from Harvard in 1903 as a mechanical engineer. After service in World War I, Piper formed several oil companies in Bradford, Pennsylvania, with various partners. When local oil resources were depleted in 1929, Piper invested in and served on the board of the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Company. Forced into bankruptcy by the 1929 Depression, Taylor Brothers was bought by Piper and reorganized with the objective of building an affordable and reliable light airplane. With Piper as treasurer and general manager, the company designed and produced a light plane called the Taylor Cub. At the age of 50, Piper himself was one of the first to learn to fly in this small two-seat aircraft. The Cub's popularity grew steadily, mainly due to Piper's insistence on low price, simplicity, and reliability. In 1937, the company moved to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and became the Piper Aircraft Corporation. The now Piper Cub became the dominant civil light aircraft for a number of years and was used extensively in a variety of military roles in World War II. Piper's enthusiasm for private flying is reflected by the thousands of light planes produced by his company, and his support of a grass-roots effort to construct airports for small towns across the country. He has made exceptional contributions to general aviation throughout the world.. Piper continued to fly as a pilot well into his 70s and continued active management of the Piper Aircraft Corporation until retiring in 1968.
Inducted in 1993.
Portrait Location: Near R-44 and B-5 Brougham