Boeing Founders Video Series
William Edward Boeing founded one of the great dynasties of commercial aviation -- transforming the Pacific Northwest into a major aeronautical center.
When he arrived in Seattle in the first decade of the new century, however, he was armed with little more than the optimism of his generation and the idea that "it was time to do something."
Donald Wills Douglas, founder of the Douglas Aircraft Company, was one of the 20th century's greatest figures in commercial aviation.
His imagination was initially stirred when -- at the age of sixteen -- he witnessed the Wright Brothers' U.S. Army flight demonstration at Fort Myer, Virginia.
In 1939, James Smith McDonnell founded McDonnell Aircraft in St. Louis -- and proceeded to build a series of the finest jet fighters in the world, with names like "Phantom," "Voodoo," and "Banshee."
Perhaps more than any aerospace leader of his generation, "Mr. Mac" imprinted his company with the force of his character, imbuing his teammates with his own drive for excellence.
In 1934, Dutch Kindelberger took over as President of North American Aviation and established it as one of the pre-eminent aerospace companies of the 20th century.
The litany of its great successes -- the P-51 Mustang, the F-86 Sabre Jet, the F-100 Super Sabre, the X-15 and the Apollo Space program -- are a tribute to the visionary leadership of Dutch Kindelberger and his successor, Lee Atwood.
