Oliver George Simmons (July 14, 1878 – April 9, 1948) was an early airplane mechanic and aviator.

Life

He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and served in the Philippines from 1899 to 1902. He became a private first class."Simmons, Oliver G."
Army Cemeteries Explorer website. Retrieved December 24, 2022. He married Dual Leaman on July 12, 1904. He studied at

Catholic University Catholic higher education includes universities, colleges, and other institutions of higher education privately run by the Catholic Church, typically by religious institutes. Those tied to the Holy See are specifically called pontifical univ ...

. As a civilian mechanic working for the army, he was assigned to the Wright Military Flyer."Oliver G. Simmons, 70, To Be Buried Tuesday; Flew With Wrights"
'' The Sunday Star'', Washington, DC, 96th year, number 102, April 11, 1948, page A-34. (obituary) He went with it to College Park Airport, and Fort Sam Houston. On 8 August 1910, he installed tricycle landing gear, with Glen Madole. On July 14, 1911, he left to work for

Robert J. Collier Robert Joseph Collier (June 17, 1876 – November 8, 1918) was the son of Peter Fenelon Collier and a principal in the publishing company P. F. Collier & Son. Upon his father's death, he became head of the company and, for a time, was editor of ...

. He learned to fly at Dayton, Ohio, and

Wickatunk, New Jersey Wickatunk is an unincorporated community located within Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. Elevation above sea level is . It was founded in 1695 by three Scottish servants from the community of Toponemus (no longer ...

, where he soloed on May 18, 1912. On July 4, 1912, he flew a Wright-Burgess seaplane, from South Amboy to Perth Amboy, across the Raritan River, to drop mail. He worked for National Tool Company in Cleveland, Ohio and became president and general manager, a position he held until his retirement in 1936. He died at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.

Legacy

He is an inductee of the Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Oliver George 1878 births 1948 deaths American aviation pioneers Members of the Early Birds of Aviation People from Philadelphia Catholic University of America alumni Burials at Arlington National Cemetery United States Army soldiers United States Army Air Forces civilians