The Halle Trophy Race, later briefly renamed the Kendall Trophy Race, was an air race for women aviators that ran for a few years after World War II.
History
Inaugurated in 1946, the Halle Trophy Race took place in Cleveland, Ohio, and was named after one of its sponsors, an upscale
Cleveland department store.
[ It was one of many events at the National Air Races in Cleveland and the only one limited to women aviators.][ In the 1946 race, the five women flyers who competed for the first trophy were photographed for ''Life'' magazine.][ The first winner was ]Marge Hurlburt
Marge Hurlburt (December 30, 1914 – July 4, 1947) was an American aviator who flew with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II and set a women's international air speed record in 1947.
Biography
Margaret M. "Marge" Hurl ...
, who would go on to set a women's air speed record the following year.
The course for the Halle Trophy Race was five laps around a 15-mile course, or 75 miles altogether.[ The women who flew in the race were limited to modified versions of the ]North American T-6 Texan
The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air force ...
, an advanced single-engine plane that had been used to train U.S. pilots during World War II.[ Preferred models included the AT-6 and the SNJ. Many of the women who took part in this race were veterans of the ]Womens Air Service Pilots
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became t ...
(WASP).[
Halle sponsored the race in 1946 and 1947.][
Kendall Oil then took over as sponsor of the race, which was renamed the Kendall Trophy Race for 1948 (not to be confused with a men's race of the same name that had been run in 1947).][
In 1949, no sponsor could be found, so that year the race was called simply the Women's Trophy Race. The group managing the air races put up a $5,500 purse. New rules were also inaugurated that year, stating that the planes had to keep their stock engines and that wings could not be clipped. Grace Harris won for the second year in a row, but at a much slower speed than in 1948.][
In 1950, all of the Cleveland races went on hiatus due to the outbreak of the Korean War, and the women's trophy race went defunct.][
]
Winners
*1946 Marge Hurlburt
Marge Hurlburt (December 30, 1914 – July 4, 1947) was an American aviator who flew with the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II and set a women's international air speed record in 1947.
Biography
Margaret M. "Marge" Hurl ...
(200.59 mph)[
*1947 Ruth Johnson (223.4 mph)][
*1948 ]Grace Harris
Grace Margaret Harris (born 18 September 1993) is an Australian cricketer who made her international debut for the Australia women's cricket team in August 2015. An all-rounder, she is a right-handed batter and right-arm off break bowler. She ...
(234.96 mph)[
*1949 Grace Harris (216.67 mph)][
]
See also
*Dot Lemon
Dorothy "Dot" Lemon (1907–1986) was a 20th century aviator whose career ranged from barnstorming in the 1920s to becoming the first woman president of the Institute of Navigation in the 1960s.
Career in aviation
Dorothy, known as "Dot", was b ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Halle Trophy Race
Air races
History of Cleveland
Recurring sporting events established in 1946