THOMAS ETHOLEN SELFRIDGE 1882-1908

THOMAS E. SELFRIDGE Collection of Margaret S. Proctor, JD, MD Courtesy of Jilian C. Murray, 7-21-04

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search the net using Google on Thomas Selfridge, you will find about 570 links. If you use Thomas Selfridge +aviation, you will find about 274 links.   THOMAS SELFRIDGE, DAREDEVIL     This page of the National Aviation Hall of Fame website is a good place to start. On it you will find a brief, but interesting biography as well as access to the stories of many other enshrinees of the organization. To access the page, just click on the title above. HISTORY OF SELFRIDGE     This page of the U.S. Army Garrison-Selfridge Home Page website offers a little different view of his career. On it you will find another brief, but interesting biography as well as a small photo of the plane crash. To access the page, just click on the title above.

Margaret S. Proctor, JD, MD! Currently updating and researching Boyer Family genealogy information.      On this page of Dr. Proctor's website, you will find the picture of Thomas Selfridge which I have used to head this page. In addition, she offers a short biography of him which details his place on her family tree. To access the page, click on the title above.

 

Thomas Etholen Selfridge from Justin Gruelle's mural The Early Birds Reproduced from TRACES of Indiana and Midwestern History Courtesy of Indiana Historical Society For the complete story, click on Mural

 
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RECOMMENDED READING

SELFRIDGE FIELD Deborah J. Larsen & Lt. Col. Louis J. Nigro Product Details Paperback: 128 pages Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (May 24, 2006) Language: English ISBN: 0738540234 Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches List Price: $19.99

Description: from the Amazon.com website Book Description "Named to honor the memory of Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, the first fatality of powered flight, Selfridge Field has recorded many aviation milestones since its founding in 1917. As home of the famed First Pursuit Group, the airfield saw the feats of such notables as Charles Lindbergh, Jimmy Doolittle, and Curtis LeMay. Scores of young aviators who passed through Selfridge’s gates later achieved the rank of general officer, earning the base the nickname "Home of the Generals." Selfridge Field illustrates the history of the base, with many images drawn from the collections of the Selfridge Military Air Museum and Mount Clemens Public Library. The development of American airpower, from crude biplanes to the supersonic F-16 fighter, is depicted in the photographic record of this historic military airfield. About the Authors Deborah J. Larsen is assistant director and local history librarian of Mount Clemens Public Library. Lt. Col. Louis J. Nigro is executive director of the Selfridge Military Air Museum. Before his retirement from the Michigan Air National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Nigro served as an Operations Group and C-130 mission commander at Selfridge."

 

Thomas Selfridge has the dubious honor of being the first man to die in a powered air crash in 1908   Editor's Note: If you have any information on this Early Flier, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back