Post Summary
| Businessman William E. Boeing transformed his passion for aviation into the world’s largest aerospace company. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he was sent overseas for his education in Switzerland by his parents, Wilhelm Böing and Marie Ortmann.
He dropped out of Yale Sheffield Scientific School to turn his inherited land in Gray’s Harbor into a timber yard. It was in 1909 that Boeing became interested in aviation, and in 1914 he bought his first plane and enrolled in a flight school in Los Angeles. In 1916, he renamed Pacific Aero Products to Boeing Air Company after successfully demonstrating the Model C. Boeing continued to expand his company and created Boeing Air Transport to establish international airmail routes. Eventually, the company merged with Pratt and Whitney Company to create the United Aircraft and Transport Corp. Boeing supported numerous charity organizations throughout his life, including Seattle’s Orthopedic Hospital for Children, which received annual anonymous donations. His legacy lives on through the Boeing Company, the biggest aircraft manufacturer in the world, and his philanthropic contributions to society. |
“Hard work can lick what appear to be insurmountable difficulties.” ~Â William E. Boeing
Biography of William E. Boeing
International flights are something we have all become accustomed to.
Whenever you are flying from one country to another, or even from city to city, chances are that you are aboard a Boeing plane.
An aircraft that transformed our way of traveling; none of this progress would have been possible without William E. Boeing.
“They will someday regard airplane travel to be as commonplace and incidental as train travel.” ~Â William E. Boeing
Early Life and Education
William Edward Boeing was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 1st, 1881, to Wilhelm Böing and Marie Ortmann.
His father originated from Hohenlimburg, Germany, whereas his mother was from Vienna. His father immigrated to the United States in 1868, where he worked as a laborer.
William’s grandfather did not support his son’s move to the United States. As a result, he was cut off from family resources, forcing him to make a living in a foreign country with no financial support.
Nevertheless, he found success in the Minnesota iron and timber industry, which allowed him to build his wealth. That wealth would later support Boeing’s education and business ventures.
William’s father passed away in 1890 from influenza when William was eight years old. His mother remarried in 1903, and William was sent overseas to Switzerland at a school in Vezei. William then returned to the United States, attending classes at a prep school in Concord, New Hampshire – St. Paul’s School.
Boeing was accepted at the Yale Sheffield Scientific School in Connecticut, where he would study engineering. He had one more year until he would graduate.
Still, he decided to drop out in 1903 to put his focus on inherited land in Gray’s Harbor and turn it into a timber yard.
At the Dominguez Flying Meet in 1910, he believed his dream would come true when Louis Paulhan, a French aviator, said he would take him on a flight.
However, Paulhan left the meeting without taking William flying, which caused him immense disappointment.
He decided that he was going to fly. So in 1914, he bought his first airplane, a simple Martin TA, and enrolled for a license at a Los Angeles flying school.
“Let no new improvement in flying and flying equipment pass us by. ” ~Â William E. Boeing
Founding of Boeing Company
Boeing was not satisfied with the performance and quality of the Martin TA aircraft, so he decided to take matters into his own hands.
After teaming up with George Conrad Westervelt, they started a company named Pacific Aero Products.
The two began engineering the B&W Seaplane, known as the Boeing Model 1.
With wings covered by fabric, a wooden hull, and an engine with 125 horsepower, it was first flown over Lake Union in 1916. Later, they built the Model C, which was a great success.
Westervelt eventually had to leave the company after the Navy sent him east.
However, he convinced Washington University to begin aeronautical engineering classes because he lacked engineering talent. In exchange, he would build them a wind tunnel.
Westervelt also urged him to apply for a government contract. He expected the U.S. army to become involved in WWI.
After successfully demonstrating the Model C, he received an order for 50 from the U.S. Navy. As the company kept growing, in 1916, Boeing renamed Pacific Aero Products into Boeing Air Company.
“There was a definite future in aviation.” ~Â William E. Boeing
Expansion of The Boeing Company
After the war ended, the aviation sector hit a slump as many cheap military aircraft were on the market.
During that time, Boeing would create furniture, but at the same time, he would explore opportunities for commercial aviation.
In 1919, he partnered with Eddie Hubbard, an ex-army pilot, to put the grounds of the first route for international airmail.
The planes would go between Seattle and Vancouver, and later, in 1925, Boeing won the San Francisco-Chicago route as well. This led him to create Boeing Air Transport.
That said, while Boeing turned a profit in 1921, the government deemed it was doing unfairly after a decade.
Boeing was monopolizing the industry at this point. Boeing Airplane Company and Boeing Air Transport merged with the Pratt and Whitley Company, creating the United Aircraft and Transport Corp.
Contributions to The Aviation Industry
With the emergence of the Air Mail Act, the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was forced to split into three different businesses: United Air Lines, Boeing Airplane Company, and the United Aircraft Corporation.
When the company was broken up, Boeing resigned from his chair, sold his stocks, and moved on to property development and horse breeding.
Boeing was out of the aircraft business but remained in contact with his old business colleagues.
During WWII, he returned to the company as a consultant, helping with developments during times of war.
Boeing also advised on the development and launch of the Dash-80, which would later become known as the Boeing 707.
This would be the first successful commercial jet airliner and change how people traveled long distances.
Philanthropy and Legacy
Boeing supported numerous charity organizations throughout his life, including Seattle’s Orthopedic Hospital for Children. Unfortunately, during the Great Depression, most of the hospital’s care was free, leading to numerous financial issues.
A few women from the committee went to Boeing for help, who wrote a check from his assets to cover the deficit. That check would be repeated yearly so that his donations would stay anonymous.
True enough, that contribution would not be revealed until 50 years after he died (1956) due to a heart attack he suffered on his boat.
By that time, the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center became one of the nation’s top pediatric institutions, which would not have been possible without his contributions.
The Boeing Company, his legacy, would also follow this path of charity.
Boeing employees and retirees would contribute over 100,000 volunteer hours and $50 million yearly to more than 200 non-profits in Washington.
Conclusion
Over time, the Boeing Company became the biggest aircraft manufacturer. His creations shaped the industry today.
Boeing was a visionary and perfectionist who monopolized an entire industry, never losing interest even after his business was divided.
Moreover, he was a man who pursued his curiosities, never dismissing an opportunity for novelty.
“I think we could build a better one.” ~Â William E. Boeing
Timeline of William E. Boeing
1881:
William Edward Boeing is born in Detroit, Michigan.
1890:
William’s father passes away from influenza.
1903:
William’s mother remarries, and he is sent overseas to Switzerland for school. Later that year, he drops out of Yale Sheffield Scientific School to focus on a timber yard.
1909:
Boeing sees an airplane in flight for the first time at a Seattle exposition.
1910:
Boeing misses out on a flight by French aviator Louis Paulhan at the Dominguez Flying Meet.
1914:
Boeing buys his first airplane, a Martin TA, and enrolls in a Los Angeles flying school.
1916:
Boeing and George Conrad Westervelt found Pacific Aero Products and engineer the B&W Seaplane (Boeing Model 1). Later that year, Boeing renames Pacific Aero Products as Boeing Air Company.
1919:
Boeing partners with Eddie Hubbard to establish the first international airmail route between Seattle and Vancouver.
1925:
Boeing wins the San Francisco-Chicago airmail route and creates Boeing Air Transport.
1934:
United Aircraft and Transport Corp is forced to split into three businesses due to the Air Mail Act. Boeing resigns and sells his stocks.
1940s:
Boeing serves as a consultant for the Boeing Company during WWII.
1954:
Boeing advises on the development and launch of the Dash-80, which later becomes the Boeing 707.
1956:
William E. Boeing dies of a heart attack on his boat.
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Lessons From The Life of William E. Boeing
Managing Your Dreams
When you have a dream, you have a choice as to what you want to do with that dream.
You can hang on to it and hope it will come true. Or you can do what it takes to make that dream a reality.
What Does It Take to Achieve Your Dream?
Each situation is different, and each dream will need certain actions. For example, William Boeing was met with rejection when he wanted to go up in an airplane.
He was fascinated with aviation since he saw someone flying a plane for the first time at an exposition.
However, he was told no whenever he asked a pilot to take him on a flight. Once, he was promised, but the pilot left before taking William for his first flight.
He was very disappointed, but he didn’t give up. He would find a way to fulfill his dream, and he did so by buying his own plane, and then he took lessons to learn how to fly it.
Naturally, he had the resources to buy his own plane, and he made it happen.
We don’t all have the resources to purchase our dream like Boeing did when he purchased a plane, but the example above shows the dedication it takes to fulfill your dream.
You need to find out what you can do to fulfill your dream.
Changing Your Approach
Many times, when you are trying something and getting disappointing results, it’s time to take a step back.
You may need to change your approach and try something different, especially when you keep doing the same thing and get the same results.
Ask Others
Another thing you can do is find others that have reached the goal you want and get advice from them.
Why reinvent the wheel? If someone else has done it, do some research to find out what they did, and try that.
Find What’s Holding You Back
Another area you can work on is finding out what obstacles keep you from achieving your dream.
Identifying them can help you come up with ideas to overcome those obstacles or decide to make adjustments to your goal.
Dreams and Desires Change
When it comes to your dreams, keep in mind that they may change.
For example, you may not want that dream you have had for so long. A change in what you want is natural because your experiences change.
Just because you have had a dream for a long time doesn’t mean it’s a part of you. You can let go. So when there is a change, let go of the dream and go after new dreams and desires.
It’s About Your Actions
It all comes down to action when you want to fulfill your dreams.
You can think about it all you want and wait for it to happen, but realistically you need to act and get help and advice from the right people to help you fulfill your dreams.
12 Facts Related to The Life of William E. Boeing
- William E. Boeing was born on October 1st, 1881, in Detroit, Michigan, to Wilhelm Böing and Marie Ortmann.
- William’s grandfather did not support his son’s move to the United States, which resulted in him being cut off from family resources.
- William E. Boeing dropped out of the Yale Sheffield Scientific School in Connecticut in 1903 to put his focus on inherited land in Gray’s Harbor and turn it into a timber yard.
- Boeing became interested in aviation in 1909 when he saw one for the first time in flight at a Seattle exposition, and he became fascinated.
- Boeing bought his first airplane, a Martin TA, in 1914 and enrolled in a flying school in Los Angeles to get a license.
- Boeing founded Pacific Aero Products with George Conrad Westervelt and started engineering the B&W Seaplane, known as the Boeing Model 1, which was first flown over Lake Union in 1916.
- In 1916, Boeing renamed Pacific Aero Products to Boeing Air Company.
- In 1919, Boeing partnered with Eddie Hubbard to put the grounds of the first route for international airmail between Seattle and Vancouver, which led him to create Boeing Air Transport.
- The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was forced to split into three different businesses: United Air Lines, Boeing Airplane Company, and the United Aircraft Corporation under the Air Mail Act.
- During WWII, William E. Boeing returned to the company as a consultant, helping with developments during times of war.
- Boeing supported numerous charity organizations throughout his life, including Seattle’s Orthopedic Hospital for Children, and donated anonymously to help cover the deficit.
- Boeing Company employees and retirees contributed over 100,000 volunteer hours and $50 million yearly to more than 200 non-profits in Washington.
Frequently Asked Questions About William E. Boeing
The information in this post answers many of the questions about William E. Boeing. In addition, this section provides a summary and any further information.
Paste FAQs
1. Who was William E. Boeing?
William E. Boeing was a pioneer in the aircraft industry and a businessman who transformed his passion for aviation into one of the largest aerospace businesses in the world.
2. When and where was William E. Boeing born?
William E. Boeing was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 1st, 1881.
3. How did William’s father build his wealth?
William’s father built his wealth by finding success in the Minnesota iron and timber industry.
4. Where did William E. Boeing attend school?
William attended school in Switzerland, a prep school in Concord, New Hampshire – St. Paul’s School, and Yale Sheffield Scientific School in Connecticut.
5. When and where did Boeing’s interest in aviation begin?
Boeing’s interest in aviation began in 1909 when he saw an airplane in flight at a Seattle exposition.
6. What was the first airplane William E. Boeing bought?
The first airplane William E. Boeing bought was a Martin TA.
7. When and with whom did William E. Boeing start Pacific Aero Products?
William E. Boeing started Pacific Aero Products with George Conrad Westervelt in 1916.
8. What was the first aircraft designed by Boeing and Westervelt?
The first aircraft designed by Boeing and Westervelt was the B&W Seaplane, known as the Boeing Model 1.
9. When did Boeing rename Pacific Aero Products to Boeing Air Company?
Boeing renamed Pacific Aero Products to Boeing Air Company in 1916.
10. What led to the creation of Boeing Air Transport?
Boeing’s winning of the San Francisco-Chicago route in 1925 led to the creation of Boeing Air Transport.
11. What happened to the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation after the Air Mail Act?
After the Air Mail Act, the United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was forced to split into three different businesses: United Air Lines, Boeing Airplane Company, and the United Aircraft Corporation.
12. What was Boeing’s role during World War II?
During World War II, Boeing returned to the company as a consultant, helping with developments during times of war.
13. What was the first successful commercial jet airliner developed by Boeing?
The first successful commercial jet airliner developed by Boeing was the Boeing 707, initially known as the Dash-80.
14. How did William E. Boeing support the Seattle Orthopedic Hospital for Children?
William E. Boeing supported Seattle’s Orthopedic Hospital for Children by writing a check from his assets to cover the deficit, which would be repeated yearly to keep his donations anonymous.
15. When did William E. Boeing die?
William E. Boeing died in 1956 due to a heart attack he suffered on his boat.
16. How do Boeing employees and retirees contribute to charity?
Boeing employees and retirees contribute over 100,000 volunteer hours and $50 million yearly to more than 200 non-profits in Washington.
