Born on January 22, 1906, Willa Brown’s life was marked by many significant firsts for her and American history. The Black travel history-maker was an ambitious woman with big dreams as a pioneering pilot and, later, in politics. As the first African American woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license in the United States, her legacy is forever cemented in history books and the skies.
Explore Brown’s significant influence in advancing Black representation in aviation throughout the 20th century.
A Pioneer Finds Her Wings
Originally from Glasgow, Kentucky, Brown moved with her family to Indianapolis, Indiana, at age six before settling in Terre Haute, where she graduated from high school. In 1927, she earned a degree from Indiana State Teachers College (now Indiana State University). She later obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Northwestern University.
After working as a teacher in Gary, Indiana, and as a social worker in Chicago, Brown decided she was ready to fly. In 1934, she began taking flying lessons and eventually joined the Challenger Air Pilots Association and the Chicago Girls Flight Club. While training under John Robinson and Cornelius Coffey, she attended Curtiss-Wright Aeronautical University and earned a Master Mechanic Certificate in 1935.
In 1937, Willa Brown became the first African American woman to earn a commercial pilot’s license in the United States. Two years later, she married her former instructor, Cornelius Coffey. The couple co-founded the Cornelius Coffey School of Aeronautics, the first Black-owned and operated private flight training academy in the U.S. In 1939, the school was awarded a federal contract for its expertise to train Americans to fly planes in the event of a national emergency.
Later that year, she co-founded the National Airmen’s Association of America, an initiative to increase Black representation in the U.S. Air Force. During this time, the trailblazing aviator also purchased her own plane. By 1941, Brown had trained hundreds of airmen and women, including some of the men who later became Tuskegee Airmen. Her efforts directly contributed to the creation of the 99th Pursuit Squadron at Tuskegee Institute, which was later integrated into the military in 1948.
Aviation Trailblazer Turns To Politics And Policy
Brown continued to ascend in her profession, adding to her list of historic accomplishments in aviation. However, her sights were now set on politics, and in 1946, she became the first African American woman to run for Congress. Her interests and efforts included expanding rights and opportunities for Black pilots.
Even though she lost to her opponent, Brown remained active in politics. Throughout her career, she supported various causes, with one of her greatest achievements being her efforts to champion racial and gender integration in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Brown married Reverend J. H. Chappell in 1955 and became an active First Lady of the West Side Community Church in Chicago. In 1972, in recognition of her contributions to aviation, Willa B. Brown-Chappell was appointed to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Women’s Advisory Board. As an aviator, instructor, and activist, Chappell’s well-lived life and legacy played a direct role in advancing Black professionals in aviation. She passed away on July 18, 1992, at 86 in Chicago.
