RUTHERFORD FULLERTON 1880 - 1952

 

LOOK WHO'S HERE! CHIRP, JUNE, 1937 Los Angeles, California - Number 20      RUTHERFORD FULLERTON, 2490-A Knox Avenue, Honolulu, T. ., Aero Club of America certificate 450 of the vintage of 1916, graduate of the Curtiss school at Newport News about April 15. As he was approaching the old age of 37 the brass hats declined his offer to become an American ace gut he sold himself to the Field Artillery and eventually served in the Meuse-Argonne offensive and later helped occupy Germany.

 

RUTHERFORD B. HAYES LIBRARY, FREMONT OHIO Email from Becky Hill Co-Head Librarian, Hayes Presidential Center (Her reply to my email of inquiry) Hello, Isn't the internet wonderful?      I am pretty sure the Rutherford Fullerton you are interested in, is the one who is related to President Hayes. We do not have much on him, per se, but we have a file on the Fullertons and he is mentioned in a letter from, Priscilla Gilbert (wife of Henry Gilbert, son of Laura Fullerton Gilbert)- Rutherford's sister - whew!)      From the letter dated April 24, 1970, I quote      "The little model aeroplane hanging by the stairs was made by her brother Rutherford Fullerton - a very beloved bachelor uncle and ex-Army man. He was in the Spanish American and World War I."      She was referring to a snapshot she sent of a portrait of Laura Fullerton and the model plane is in the corner- very small.      Rutherford Fullerton would be a grandnephew to President Rutherford B. Hayes. The president's sister, Fanny, was RF's grandmother.      I will send you a couple pages from our web site. It sounds like Rutherford spent Christmas with the President back in the 1880's - a nice piece of human interest. Our library also has a collection of material on early flight - the Ausmus Collection.For more information on the Ausmus Coll., contact Nan Card - ncard@rbhayes.org- our manuscripts curator.      We would appreciate any information you dig up on RF so we can add to our Fullerton files. I looked at your site and it is certainly well-done and interesting. I am sure you will want more info. on the Ausmus collection. Thanks Becky Hill

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "Rutherford Fullerton" using the Google search engine, (9-12-03), you will find about 5 links. The two of most interest are the following.

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center Elizabeth Mitchell Heyl      This webpage offers an inventory of a collection which consists mainly of family correspondence, beginning in 1856 and extending to 1949. In Box 8, Photographs, it lists photos of Rutherford Fullerton in Folder 3. The photos are not available online, but at least we know they exist.

Erskine Boies Fullerton      This page on the Long Island Genealogy Surname Information website lists Rutherford Fullerton as one of the children of Erskine Boies Fullerton and Fannie Hayes Platt. It records he was born 30 June, 1880 in Columbus OH and died 17 May, 1952 at Laguna Beach, CA. You may access the site by clicking on the title above.

 

AUTOGRAPHED AIR MAIL COVER      This cover which originated from the NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY AIR MEET, SUNBURY, PA., Sponsored by the Sunbury Flying Club and is signed by EB Rutherford Fullerton, is postmarked SUNBURY, PA., AUG. 15, 1931. It has been donated through the courtesy of Stéphane Sebile.

 

Rutherford Fullerton died on May 17, 1952, in Laguna Beach, CA from Long Island Genealogy Surname Information   Editor's Note: If you have any more information on this pioneer aviator please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back