The Bishop's Boys (98 page)

preaching of, 26, 30, 37, 40, 51

principles of, 13–14,
20
, 26, 27, 30, 40, 41–42, 51, 62, 67, 68, 69, 78, 83, 88, 128, 450

publishing interests of, 63–64, 85, 89, 96, 215–18

real estate investments of, 40, 45, 47, 71

record keeping of, 48

religious calling of, 26, 27–28, 30–31, 42, 86

retirement of, 103, 302

teaching experience of, 30–31, 35, 37, 39, 41, 57, 60

Wilbur’s bequest to, 450

Wright, Milton (nephew), 57, 89, 125–28,
126
, 157–58, 173, 528

Wright, Orville, 2, 48,
59, 95, 281, 474, 480, 514

aeronautical interests of, 56–57, 160–61, 162–64

American Wright Company presidency of, 451, 455–56, 460–61, 463–68

appearance of, 2, 13–14,
59
, 472

Army demonstration flights of, 372–78,
376
, 395–99.
397
, 408, 445, 451, 456 articles by, 242–43, 360–61, 362

automotive interest of, 114, 513–14

biographies of, 48, 451, 475–76, 516–21

biography rejected by, 475–76, 517–18

birth of, 48, 509

childhood of, 48–50, 52–60,
59
, 65, 77

consulting work of, 466, 469, 471

cooking skills of, 104, 116, 125, 479

correspondence of, 50, 53, 100, 111, 188–89, 190–91, 193–94. 198, 209–10, 240, 258, 337–38, 475, 491, 495

death of, 121, 484, 524

diaries of, 261

dirigible ride of, 406

domestic interests of, 477–81

duty vs. inclinations of, 472–73

education of, 58–60, 93–94, 95,
95
, 279, 504

effect of Wilbur’s death on, 450–51, 456

estate of, 525

European trips of, 339–44, 385–90, 402, 405–6, 409, 433–34, 440, 451–52, 477

fame of, 472–73, 502–4

family feeling of, 480–83, 515–16

first glider flights of, 237–38, 240–41

first passenger flight of, 374

first powered flight of, 265–70, 485, 528, 529

flying accidents of, 124, 163, 237, 238, 283, 285, 296, 375–78, 384, 395, 396–97, 444, 456 friends of, 455, 456, 460, 468–69, 471, 475–76, 488–89, 503, 512, 517, 527

funeral of, 524–25

genealogical interests of, 480

honorary degrees awarded to, 502, 503

illnesses of, 157, 159–60, 448, 449, 478, 523–24

interviews with, 472, 475–76, 519

inventions of, 15, 459–60, 471–72, 513–14

inventive instincts of, 15, 53, 94, 96, 105, 111, 113, 114, 238–239, 477–78, 479, 5I3–16

laboratory of, 468, 471, 475, 512–13, 521

language study of, 261

last flight piloted by, 470

leadership qualities lacking in, 455–56, 464, 473. 474

mandolin playing of, 117, 239, 510

Milton on, 14, 53, 113, 163

mischievousness of, 14, 48, 93, 119, 125, 476, 480–82, 515

motivation of, 455

nickname of, 50, 120

personality of, 14–15, 35, 52–53, 58, 65, 93, 94, 125–27, 359, 455, 464, 472–73, 480–82

personal style of,
2
, 13–14,
112
, 359, 387, 393, 472

practical jokes played by, 14, 119, 125, 476, 480–81

printing and publishing interests of, 90, 94, 103, 104–5

private world created by, 475–82

public relations value of, 470, 474

public reverence for, 472

real estate owned by, 476–79

recuperation from injuries by, 377, 379, 380, 384, 385,
386
, 456

recurring pain of, 380, 456, 476

service on boards and commissions by, 473–74,
474

shyness of, 14–15, 35, 119, 371–72, 455, 472–73

small-scale projects of, 513–16

summer retreat of, 476, 478–79

technical conservatism of, 457

tributes to, 472, 502, 521, 524–25

wartime commission of, 469–70

water takeoff and landing of, 458

wealth of, 466, 468, 525

Wilbur on, 49–50, 103, 105, 372, 377, 395

Wilbur’s bequest to, 450

will of, 520, 525, 526–27

women and, 119, 371

Wright, Otis (brother), 47

Wright, Porter (great-uncle), 22, 25

Wright, Reuchlin (brother), 39, 47, 48, 49, 70,
74
, 449

children of, 60, 71, 128–30, 480

correspondence of, 71–72, 113, 450

death of, 480

early married life of, 69–72, 77, 83, 89, 104

education of, 60, 64, 89

family alienation of, 60, 70, 71–72, 90, 91, 450

financial situation of, 64, 69, 71–72

health of, 71, 89

jobs of, 64, 66, 70–71

rebelliousness of, 60

Wilbur’s bequest to, 71–72, 450

Wright, Samuel (ancestor), 21–22

Wright, Samuel (cousin), 19

Wright, Samuel Smith (uncle), 22, 26, 27

Wright, Sarah (aunt), 23

Wright, Sarah (great-grandmother), 22

Wright, Susan Koerner (mother), 32–36, 479

birth of, 32, 480

childbearing of, 38, 39, 40, 47–48

correspondence of, 32, 37, 66, 69

courtship of, 31, 35, 37

death of, 32, 38, 82, 83, 87, 89, 93, 95

health of, 38, 63, 65, 75, 77, 81, 82, 87, 108

marriage of, 20–21, 38, 40

mechanical aptitude of, 33,
34

Milton on, 35, 38, 77, 82

parenting of, 49, 53, 58, 82

personality of, 33–35,
34
, 38, 53, 87

religious faith of, 33, 38

Wilbur’s care of, 75, 77, 78, 81, 93

Wright, Wilbur,
2, 281, 367

aeronautical experiments of, 172–75

aeronautical interests of, 56–57, 159, 160–68

animated windmill concept of, 172–73

appearance of,
2
, 13, 14, 40,
61
, 332

athletic ability of, 65, 74, 75, 518

balloon ride of, 336, 363

birth of, 40, 148, 507

childhood of, 48–50, 52–60,
61

correspondence of, 50, 71, 91–92, 104, 105, 109–10, 129–30, 161–63, 174, 180, 181, 184, 200, 201, 236, 253–54, 265, 277, 278–79, 293. 311

death of, 15, 49, 71, 163, 449–51, 477, 504, 509

depressions of, 15, 50, 75, 76–77, 81, 89

diaries of, 186, 336, 355, 364

drawings and charts of, 219, 232

education of, 58–60, 64–65, 74–75,
74
, 279, 504

engineering intellect of, 165–67, 169–70, 171–74, 200, 449, 516

estate of, 71–72, 450

European trips of, 90, 118, 124, 127–28, 163, 312, 332–42, 364–70, 440–42

first public flights of, 90, 366–70,
367
, 380–90

flying accident of, 358

foreign impressions about, 332, 336, 368–69

funeral of, 449–50

gifts and bequests of, 71–72

glider flights of, 162, 188–90, 198–200, 208–9, 210, 211–12,
238

hockey accident of, 74–76, 78, 108, 518

humor of, 186, 385–86, 387, 390

illnesses of, 50, 74–77, 107–8, 110, 354, 447–49

industrial accident of, 366

initial aeronautical leadership of, 162–64

last flights piloted by, 409, 428

last will of, 49, 71–72, 449

lectures of, 14, 15, 166, 171, 218–19, 230 253, 281, 416, 417

Milton and, 78, 79, 80–81, 87, 90–92, 103, 183–84, 187–88, 215, 216, 218, 402, 450

Milton on, 15, 40, 77, 124, 163, 225, 448, 449

motion-picture footage of, 387, 388

nickname of, 50

Orville on, 198, 213, 228

Orville compared to,
2
, 14–15, 163, 455, 516

passengers carried on flights by, 381–82,

382
, 385, 386-, 387

personality of, 14, 15, 16, 76, 117–19, 164, 165, 214, 302, 449, 455

personal style of, 2, 219, 359, 387, 393

photographers confronted by, 396–97

pilots trained by, 383, 385, 386, 387–88, 408

prizes won by, 380–81, 383, 385

psychological observations about, 302, 518

publications of, 78, 79, 80, 95, 202–3, 230, 231–32, 247, 446

reading habits of, 15, 53, 75, 77–78, 97, 335

romance rumors about, 118, 119

self-analysis of, 164, 301

stress experienced by, 365–67, 447, 451, 455

study and research of, 160–62, 164–68, 169–70, 174, 177–80

teaching ambitions of, 15, 76, 110

tributes to, 449–50

uncertainty of, 213, 214–15, 218, 301

women and, 117–19, 218–19

Wright, William (uncle), 19, 23, 27, 28, 75

Milton’s correspondence with, 31, 36, 37, 39

Wright Aeronautical Company, 466–67

“Wright Aeroplane and Its Fabled Performances, The,” 307

“Wright Aeroplane and Its Performances,” 313

Wright & Wright, 100–103

Wright Brothers,
2

aeronautical influence of, 317, 318, 319–20, 322, 323–24, 333, 352, 369, 383–84

aeronautical influences on, 56–57,
141
, 160, 162, 347, 446

bachelor status of, 13, 101, 104, 117–19, 371

bicycle business of, 107–16, 129, 181, 229, 233. 274. 411, 454

bicycles built by, 109, 111–14, 119, 204

biographies of, 48, 451, 475–76, 516–21

business strategies of, 108, 110–11, 114, 116, 274, 278, 291–92, 294–95, 300, 301–7, 309–12, 315, 329–34

cautiousness of, 230, 253–54, 270, 272, 276–77, 278, 291, 300, 302–5, 307, 310–11, 314–15, 316, 326, 329–30, 332, 341, 395–96

celebrity of,
2
, 196, 272, 278, 291, 327, 367–69. 371–72, 382–94, 396

commitment of, 273–74, 417

competitions shunned by, 363–64, 403, 407, 420

contrasting natures of,
2
, 13–16, 53, 114, 127, 396, 516

correspondence between, 337–38, 360, 365, 366, 375, 380, 405, 440, 442

criticism of, 278, 301–2, 313, 326, 369, 395–96, 417–19

design breakthrough of, 297

disagreements between, 101–3, 104, 243, 337–38, 365–66

disputed claims of, 419–20, 441–42

division of labor between, 102–3, 164, 331–32, 359, 516

engineering vs. scientific skills of, 174–75

European contracts disappointing to, 440–42

exhibition team of, 426–33,
427
, 434–35, 475

expenses incurred by, 199, 229, 276–77, 278

family background of, 19–43, 113

family life of, 116–31, 273, 448

fashions inspired by, 387

financial problems of, 109–10, 113

first powered flight of, 265–70, 485, 528, 529

first public flights of, 90, 317

friendships lost to, 419–23

gifts of, 128, 273

glider records of, 240–41, 444–45

government contracts sought by, 289–95, 304–12, 314, 328–42, 370

happy and active years for, 301

historic papers of, 475, 525–26

humor of, 103

income of, 114, 229, 362, 410, 429, 432–33, 434

interviews with, 308

manufacturing monopoly of, 415–16, 418

memorabilia of, 509–10

Milton and,
20
, 25, 60, 90–92, 107, 109, 111, 302, 393

Milton on, 327

monuments and memorials to, 504–11, 521, 526–29

mother’s influence on, 33

mysterious impression given by, 251, 333, 355

patent infringement suits by, 402–3, 404–5, 407, 412–23, 440, 441–42, 447, 451–52, 456–57, 460–61, 465–67

photographs by,
187
, 203, 219, 232

pilots trained by, 383, 385, 386, 387–88, 408, 426–28,
427
, 429, 435–37, 438, 439

practical airplane first demonstrated by, 299–300

press accounts of, 306–7, 308, 313, 315, 326, 327, 328–29, 355–57

presses built by, 95, 96, 102, 107, 515, 516

printing and publishing partnership of, 96–103, 104–5, 109, 110–11, 114

public corporate entity of, 163–64, 359, 396

publicity avoided by, 253–54, 270, 276–77, 281, 326, 356, 360, 396–97

publicity released by, 270–72, 274, 360–62

public opinion about, 417, 472

published papers of, 475, 526

recognition and praise of, 313, 314, 326, 328–29, 336, 367–68, 382–83, 386–94, 485

record keeping of, 16, 188, 218, 221, 454

records achieved by, 240–41, 282, 297, 325, 358, 374–75, 380–81, 383, 384–85, 397. 398, 404. 406, 444–45

relationship of, 13, 48–50, 53, 92, 94, 96, 97, 101–3, 104–5, 117, 157, 159, 162–64, 238, 243, 267, 337–38, 359, 365, 481, 516

safety precautions urged by, 430–31

shared analytical abilities of, 15–16, 33, 221, 225, 238–39, 243

showmanship of, 407

siblings’ relationship with, 48–50

single flight together of, 12

skepticism about, 292–93, 304–5, 307, 314, 315, 317, 319, 322, 326, 332, 336, 345, 355, 366, 368, 369

social life of, 116–19, 173, 336, 383, 389–90

suits brought against, 423

theoretical testing procedures of, 221–28,

223, 224, 227
, 230, 231, 234, 235, 254

toy helicopters of, 56–57

toys made by, 15, 127, 515–16

triumphant homecoming of, 390–94, 393

value as inventors stressed by, 293, 300, 303. 306, 316, 403. 412, 419

White House visit of, 391–92

world seen as hostile by, 302–3, 380

Wright Brothers, The: A Biography Authorized by Orville Wright
(Kelly), 521

Wright Brothers, The: Fathers of Flight
(McMahon), 517–18

“Wright Brothers’ Aeroplane, The” (Wright), 362

Wright Brothers’ Home Day Celebration, 390–91, 392–94,
393

Wright Brothers National Memorial, 505–7

Wright Cycle Company, 109–14, 116, 161, 204, 454

Wright Cycle Exchange, 108

Wright Field, 502–3, 511

Wilbur Wright Field, 510–11

Wright-Fliers, 426–33, 434–35

accidents and fatalities among, 430–31, 432, 434–35

exhibition flights of, 428–33, 434–35

training of, 426–28, 427, 429

Wright Flyer (1903):

American retrieval of, 495–96, 526–29

damage to, 269,
269
, 273, 354, 454

design and construction of, 255, 256, 259, 260–61, 263–64

English museum as recipient of, 491–92, 506, 509. 520, 525

first successful flights of, 265–70, 275, 289, 291

flying times achieved in, 268, 269, 270, 271, 274, 280