The LB GOP Pilot Who Beat Amelia Earhart and Phyllis Schafly

From its earliest days, Long Beach was a major site for women in aviation. After Long Beach aviator John Montijo taught Amelia Earhart how to perform aerobatics, she flew stunts in Earl Daugherty’s air rodeo. Faster planes and the promise of cash prizes and instant fame attracted both men and women to become involved in aviation, including Gladys O’Donnell, the first licensed female pilot in Long Beach.

Gladys (Livingston Berry) O’Donnell was born in 1904 and married car salesman Lloyd O’Donnell when she was 18. Lloyd opened the O’Donnell School of Aviation at Daugherty Field and owned the first plane manufactured by Claude Ryan.

Gladys was initially afraid to fly but Lloyd persuaded her. After only 40 hours of flying, Gladys defeated Amelia Earhart in the 1929 eight-day transcontinental Women’s National Air Derby from Santa Monica to Cleveland. The race attracted 20 women, including Evelyn “Bobbi” Trout and Pancho Barnes. Louise Thadden won the race. O’Donnell came in second, winning $1,950. Earhart came in third.

The O’Donnell School of Aviation was operated by Lloyd O’Donnell at Daugherty Field, who set his own aviation record in 1929 when Lloyd successfully completed the first glider tow.

In 1929, Long Beach surged with the largest number of women qualifying for flying licenses: Mrs. W.R. Sweeley, Edna Coulter, Melba Gorby, Virginia Blume and L.M. Partee. Long Beach “Society woman” Mrs. C.C. McWhinney (who took lessons from Earl Daugherty) soloed in her Laird plane in 1928, only to crash and die when her husband piloted the plane in 1929.

Gladys O’Donnell became known as “the flying housewife” with her win at the 1930 Women’s Air Derby, which started at Long Beach and ended in Chicago. O’Donnell flew a 1929 Waco Taperwing Biplane, sponsored by the Press-Telegram.

Humorist Will Rogers referred to the race as a “powder puff derby” because the flyers supposedly checked their makeup before taking off.

In order to hold the race in Long Beach, the gas beacon light was removed from the airfield. During the Women’s Air Derby, the airfield was also dedicated to Earl Daugherty who died in a crash in 1928.

Because of female interest in aviation, the first organization of women pilots was formed in 1929 and named “Ninety-Nines” to signify the number of women who organized the group. Gladys O’Donnell and Amelia Earhart were charter members of the group. O’Donnell became the first “governor” of the 99s Southwest area.

Over the years, O’Donnell continued flying and hosted a radio program “Sky Doings.” She won the 1937 Amelia Earhart Memorial Race in Cleveland. An instructor for the Civil Aeronautics Authority, she served several terms on the Long Beach Aviation Commission.

In 1941, she and Lloyd operated Sequoia Field in Visalia, training pilots for military flying. They also owned O’Donnell Oil Company and she co-founded Hydro-Test Tubing Service.

Gladys became very active in Republican politics and in 1967, she defeated Phyllis Schafly for president of the National Federation of Republic Women over the issue of the Equal Rights Amendment. She stayed active in politics until her death in 1973.

Gerrie Schipske is the author of several books on the history of Long Beach, including “Early Aviation in Long Beach” from which this article is taken.

gerrie@beachcomber.news