Ila Fox Loetscher (30 October 1904 – January 4, 2000), also known as the "Turtle Lady", was an American female aviation pioneer and noted advocate for the care and preservation of
sea turtles
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
.
Early life and aviation
Ila Marie Fox was born on 30 October 1904 in
Callender, Iowa as one of a pair of twin girls, her sister was named Olive. Their parents were Eliza Anne née Sharr (known as Sally) and Charles Irwin Fox. They also had younger twin brothers. Their father was a country doctor. She received her early education in
Pella, Iowa, before ultimately graduating from the
University of Iowa.
From her early life, Loetscher had developed in interested in engines and
aviation, and she became, at the age of 25, the first licensed native Iowa female pilot.
At the invitation of her friend
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...
, Loetscher was one of the 99 charter members of the
Ninety-Nines, an organization founded in 1929 to promote fellowship and support for female pilots.
By the 1950s, her focus had changed from flying to family. However, when David Loetscher, her husband of 32 years, died in 1955, Loetscher opted for a new beginning and moved to
South Padre Island, Texas.
Her work with sea turtles
Shortly after moving to South Padre Island, Ila Loetscher developed an affection for and interest in
sea turtles
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
, which would come to define the latter half of her life. From 1963 to 1967, she accompanied fellow island residents on trips to
Mexico to get eggs for the endangered
Kemp's ridley turtle that they would plant and protect on the island, and she received a state license to care for sick and injured sea turtles.
In 1977, Loetscher founded "Sea Turtle, Inc", a non-profit corporation focused on protecting and preserving sea turtles, particularly the Kemp's ridley. Her activities on behalf of the turtles gained her the nickname, "The Turtle Lady".
Awards and appearances
*Ila Loetscher was inducted into the Iowa Aviation Hall of Fame in 1991.
*In 2005, she was the first nominee to the
Rio Grande Valley Walk of Fame
*Loetscher appeared in
National Geographic
''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...
documentaries and on numerous television shows, including ''
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'', ''
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...
'', the ''
Today Show'', and ''
Real People''.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Sea Turtle, Inc website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loetscher, Ila
American environmentalists
American women environmentalists
Aviators from Iowa
1904 births
2000 deaths
University of Iowa alumni
People from Webster County, Iowa
People from Pella, Iowa
American women aviators
20th-century American women
20th-century American people