Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

Alexander Pearson Jr. (November 12, 1895 – September 2, 1924) was a prominent aviation figure in the

Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

from 1919 until his death in 1924. He is credited with setting the world speed record in March 1923.

Pearson Field Pearson Field also once known as Pearson Airpark, is a city-owned municipal airport located one mile (2 km) southeast of the central business district of Vancouver, a city in Clark County, Washington, United States. Pearson Field is t ...

Vancouver, Washington Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington, located in Clark County. Incorporated in 1857, Vancouver has a population of 190,915 as of the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Was ...

was dedicated in his honor on by order of the

Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of ...

John L. Hines on May 7, 1925.

Biography

Pearson was born in

Sterling, Kansas Sterling is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,248. Sterling is home to Sterling College. History For millennia, the land now known as Kansas was inhabited by Native Ame ...

on November 12, 1895 and graduated high school in

Hutchinson, Kansas Hutchinson is the largest city and county seat in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and located on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch". As of the 2020 ...

. Pearson then moved to Eugene, Oregon where he enrolled at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

.Pearson Field: Washington's Pioneer Airport. Historylink. 2010-05-23. URL:http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=pf_output.cfm&file_id=7404. Accessed: 2010-05-23. (Archived by WebCite at https://www.webcitation.org/5pxFOrzI1?url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage%3Dpf_output.cfm%26file_id%3D7404 Pearson joined the Army when the United States entered the war in 1917 and later in served the Air Service. . Pearson served as an Army test pilot and held numerous flight records, including the transcontinental speed record. He lost his life while preparing for the Pulitzer race in Ohio. Flying the Curtiss R-8, a wing strut failed as Pearson attempted to recover from a dive and his plane crashed into the ground at 260 miles per hour near

Fairfield, Ohio Fairfield is a suburban city located in both Butler and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. Fairfield is located approximately 25 miles north of Cincinnati and is situated on the east bank of the Great Miami River. The population ...

, killing him instantly.

Legacy

Pearson Field was officially dedicated on September 16, 1925, and to mark the occasion Lt.

Oakley G. Kelly Oakley George Kelly (December 3, 1891 – June 5, 1966) was a record setting pilot for the United States Army Air Service. Biography He was born on December 3, 1891 in Pennsylvania and grew up in Grove City. In May 1922, Lieutenant Oakley G. K ...

organized a large air show. Fifty-six aircraft from across the West converged on Pearson Field, providing the audience of 20,000 a spectacular show of precision flying and parachute drops. Alexander Pearson Marker located at 45° 37.455′ N, 122° 39.437′ W. Marker is in Vancouver, Washington, in Clark County. Marker is on E. 5th Street, on the left when traveling west. Marker is at the

Pearson Air Museum The Pearson Air Museum is a place-based aviation museum at Pearson Field in Vancouver, Washington, USA. Managed by the National Park Service as part of the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, museum exhibits provide an opportunity for visitor ...

Headquarters Building. Marker created by A. H. Clark in 1938. Made by L. C. Blouhard, J. F. Mahaney.Howard C. French / Alexander Pearson. The Historical Marker Database. 2010-05-23. URL:http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=8962. Accessed: 2010-05-23. (Archived by WebCite at https://www.webcitation.org/5pxJK22DD)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pearson, Alexander Jr. 1895 births 1924 deaths Accidental deaths in Ohio American aviation record holders Aviators from Kansas Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States University of Oregon alumni People from Sterling, Kansas People from Hutchinson, Kansas Mackay Trophy winners Burials at Arlington National Cemetery Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1924