April 1, 2022
On this day in 1899, American engineer James S. McDonnell was born. McDonnell was the president of the St. Louis based McDonnell Aircraft Corporation from 1939 to 1972. In addition to being one of the primary aircraft providers for the U.S. Military, McDonnell Aircraft was contracted to build the Mercury and Gemini space capsules.
James Smith McDonnell earned many accolades for his contribution to aviation, including the Collier Trophy, which he received in 1966. Image credit: Air and Space via Wikimedia Commons
