Captain Bill Norwood, United's first black pilot, retires next month, after 30-year career.CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 12, 1996--Captain William R. (Bill) Norwood, the first black pilot hired by United and also the first to achieve the rank of captain will retire next month after an illustrious career of more than 30 years. Norwood, who currently flies DC-10s between Chicago and Honolulu for United, will retire in early February and will be recognized at a retirement party Feb. 17 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. John Edwardson, president and chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. of United Airlines, will lead United executives, pilots, employees and friends in saluting Norwood for his achievements within United and his contributions to higher education higher education Study beyond the level of secondary education. Institutions of higher education include not only colleges and universities but also professional schools in such fields as law, theology, medicine, business, music, and art. . Capt. Norwood will also be a feature speaker at the Museum of Science and Industry Museum of Science and Industry can refer to:
In Classical and Neoclassical architecture, a building or room that is circular in plan and covered with a dome. The Pantheon is a Classical Roman rotunda. The Villa Rotonda at Vicenza, designed by Andrea Palladio, is an Italian Renaissance example. of the Take Flight exhibit in February. Norwood will share his experiences in aviation and offer career guidance as part of National Black History Month. United will also honor Norwood's achievements in aviation and education by painting his name of the side of the United 727 at the Take Flight exhibit. Boeing 727s were the first airplanes Norwood flew for United. Norwood was born in Centralia and attended at Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University, main campus at Carbondale; state supported; coeducational; est. 1869, opened 1874 as a normal school, renamed 1947. It has a center for archaeological investigation and a fisheries research laboratory. There is also a campus at Edwardsville. in Carbondale where he also was the first black quarterback on the football team. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1959. He also earned a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago. His interest in flying was piqued as a boy in grammar school where he met a teacher who had been a member of the Tuskegee Airmen Tuskegee Airmen Black servicemen of the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) who trained at Alabama's Tuskegee Army Air Field in World War II. They constituted the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military. black fighter squadron Fighter Squadron is a 1948 film, directed by Raoul Walsh. Plot At an American air base in England, 1943, is conniving Sergeant Dolan, who manipulates everyone, and insubordinate ace fighter pilot Major Ed Hardin. . He began to experience flying first-hand at Southern Illinois University as an ROTC cadet. That led to a six-year stint in the Air Force where he flew B-52s for the Strategic Air Command, setting the stage for his career in commercial aviation. He has won numerous honors over the years including United's 1991 Community Relations Award and the airline's Flight Operations Division Special Achievement award. Norwood also has served for many years as a trustee of Southern Illinois University and on the Illinois Board of Higher Education. His contributions to education are as impressive as his awards for leadership at United. In retirement he plans to spend more time with his family including his wife, Molly, and his two sons, one who is an air traffic controller at O'Hare International Airport O'Hare International Airport is an airport located in Chicago, Illinois, United States, 17 miles (27 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop. It is the largest hub of United Airlines (whose headquarters is in downtown Chicago) and the second-largest hub of American Airlines (after and the other who is an attorney. United currently employs 236 black pilots, the highest number in the industry, out of 8,421 pilots that fly approximately 2,200 flights a day to 140 destinations in 30 countries and three US territories around the world. CONTACT: United Airlines, Chicago Connie Huff, 708/952-5501 Evening/Weekend: 708/952-4088 |
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