Frances Wilson Grayson
Encyclopedia
Frances Wilson Grayson (circa 1890 – December 25, 1927) was an American aviatrix who died flying to Newfoundland
just prior to her trip to cross the Atlantic Ocean
.
to A.J. Wilson. Her family moved from Arkansas
to Indiana
and she graduated from Muncie High School in Indiana. She next attended the Chicago Musical College. Her plan was to accompany her brother, who planned to be a professional singer. When her brother died she stopped studying music. She then attended Swarthmore College
studying recitation and dramatic arts.
and was twenty years older than Frances. They had no children and divorced after nine years.
where she was a writer for a newspaper. She then became a real estate agent and then became interested in aviation. She was inspired by the Charles Lindbergh
flight to Paris in May 1927 and she attempted to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean
by plane.
amphibian plane (a Sikorsky S-36) and received financing from Mrs. Aage Ancker, a daughter of the Pittsburgh
steel manufacturer Charles H. Sang. On the night of December 23, 1927 she left from Curtis Field in New York for Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. From there she was planning to make her historic transatlantic flight to London, possibly on Christmas
day. The plane, known as the Dawn was to be flown by Lieutenant Oskar Omdal
of the Norwegian Navy, though Frances may have planned to perform some of the flying herself. The crew included navigator Brice Goldsborough and a radio engineer Frank Koehler. They never reached Newfoundland and their remains were never found. Frances was the fifth woman to fail to achieve the transatlantic flight, which was accomplished by Amelia Earhart
as a passenger in 1928.
.
In another statement she reportedly said:
Dominion of Newfoundland
The Dominion of Newfoundland was a British Dominion from 1907 to 1949 . The Dominion of Newfoundland was situated in northeastern North America along the Atlantic coast and comprised the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the continental mainland...
just prior to her trip to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Birth and education
She was born as Frances Wilson in Cherokee Village, ArkansasCherokee Village, Arkansas
Cherokee Village is a city in Fulton and Sharp counties in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The population was 4,807 at the 2007 census.-Geography:Cherokee Village is located at ....
to A.J. Wilson. Her family moved from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
to Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
and she graduated from Muncie High School in Indiana. She next attended the Chicago Musical College. Her plan was to accompany her brother, who planned to be a professional singer. When her brother died she stopped studying music. She then attended Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private, independent, liberal arts college in the United States with an enrollment of about 1,500 students. The college is located in the borough of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia....
studying recitation and dramatic arts.
Marriage
At Swarthmore College, she met John Brady Grayson and they married on September 15, 1914. John Grayson was the postmaster of Warrenton, VirginiaWarrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
and was twenty years older than Frances. They had no children and divorced after nine years.
New York
Frances then moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where she was a writer for a newspaper. She then became a real estate agent and then became interested in aviation. She was inspired by the Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
flight to Paris in May 1927 and she attempted to be the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
by plane.
Aviation career
She placed a deposit on the construction of a new SikorskySikorsky Aircraft
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer based in Stratford, Connecticut. Its parent company is United Technologies Corporation.-History:...
amphibian plane (a Sikorsky S-36) and received financing from Mrs. Aage Ancker, a daughter of the Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
steel manufacturer Charles H. Sang. On the night of December 23, 1927 she left from Curtis Field in New York for Harbor Grace, Newfoundland. From there she was planning to make her historic transatlantic flight to London, possibly on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day. The plane, known as the Dawn was to be flown by Lieutenant Oskar Omdal
Oskar Omdal
Oskar Omdal was a Lieutenant and pilot in the Norwegian Navy.-Biography:He was born in Kristiansand, in Vest-Agder, Norway in 1895. He attended the Norwegian Naval Flight School in Horten in 1919 and was promoted to lieutenant in 1922...
of the Norwegian Navy, though Frances may have planned to perform some of the flying herself. The crew included navigator Brice Goldsborough and a radio engineer Frank Koehler. They never reached Newfoundland and their remains were never found. Frances was the fifth woman to fail to achieve the transatlantic flight, which was accomplished by Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
as a passenger in 1928.
Commemoration
In 1928, the Ontario Surveyor General named a number of lakes in the northwest of the province to honour aviators who had perished during 1927, mainly in attempting oceanic flights. These include Goldsborough Lake (50.70°N 89.34°W), Grayson Lake (50.88°N 89.43°W) and Omdahl [sic] Lake (50.81°N 89.49°W) which are in close proximity to each other in the Wabakimi Provincial ParkWabakimi Provincial Park
Wabakimi Provincial Park is a wilderness park located to the northwest of Lake Nipigon in the province of Ontario, Canada. The park contains a vast and interconnected network of more than 2,000 kilometres of lakes and rivers...
.
Epilogue
She gave a personal statement to a reporter in October 1927 that was only to be printed in the event she was lost in her transatlantic attempt. In it she wrote:- "Who am I? Sometimes I wonder. Am I a little nobody? Or am I a great dynamic force-powerful- in that I have a god-given birthright and have all the power there is if only I will understand and use it?"
In another statement she reportedly said:
- "I am going to be the first woman across the Atlantic, and mine the only ship since Lindbergh’s to reach its destination. I will prove that woman can compete with man in his own undertakings."
