WILLA B. BROWN

Brown(1906-1992) was born in Glasgow, Kentucky and graduated high school and college in Terre Haute, Indiana. Undaunted by discouraging voices, she pursued flying lessons with Cornelius Coffey, at the time one of only two African-Americans holding civil service credentials in mechanical aviation. In 1937 not only did she receive a masters degree from Northwestern University, she also earned her pilot’s license, making her the first African American woman to be licensed in the United Sates. Two years later she and her mentor, Cornelius Coffey, married and began a cooperative business venture in Chicago. At one point she was the only woman in America holding a mechanic's license, a commercial pilot's license, and serving as the president of a large aviation corporation. She was also a founding member of the National Airmen Association of America, the sole purpose of which was to lobby Congress for the racial integration of the U.S. Army Air Corps. In 1942 she became the first black woman to receive a commission as a lieutenant in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol.

EUGENE J. BULLARD

Bullard (1894-1961) was born in Columbus, Georgia, and hearing stories from his father of blacks being treated as equals to whites in France, he hitchhiked at age 18 from Georgia to Virginia, where he stowed away on a ship to Scotland. He worked his way through England to France and served in the French Foreign Legion and French infantry, being wounded twice, and declared disabled. He then trained to be a pilot in the French air service, thus becoming the first African American combat pilot. He flew 20 missions against the Germans and was wounded three times before being honorably discharged. When the United States entered World War I, it barred African Americans from flying, denying Bullard the opportunity to fight for his country. Bullard remained in France during World War II as a member of the Underground until France surrendered to the Germans. Bullard returned to the U.S. and lived in New York City until his death, having received France’s highest honor, the Legion d'Honneur.

YVONNE D. CAGLE

Cagle (1959- ) was born in West Point, NY, and received her M.D. degree from the University of Washington in 1985. A Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Cagle was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1996, she is now qualified for flight assignment as a mission specialist. Currently, Dr. Cagle is assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Operations Planning Branch.