Fay Gillis Wells facts for kids
Fay Gillis Wells (born October 15, 1908 – died December 2, 2002) was an amazing American pioneer. She was a pilot, a journalist who traveled the world, and a broadcaster.
In 1929, she became one of the first women pilots to jump out of a plane with a parachute to save her life. She also helped start the Ninety-Nines, which is a group for licensed women pilots around the world. As a journalist, she reported from the Soviet Union in the 1930s and covered wars. She also helped start overseas radio broadcasting with her husband, reporter Linton Wells. Later, she worked as a reporter at the White House from 1963 to 1977.
During the 1930s and 40s, Fay and her husband worked on important government missions. For example, The New York Times reported that President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent them to Africa. Their mission was to find possible new homes for Jewish people after the war. For many years, Fay actively worked to promote friendship between countries through flying.
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Early Life and First Flights
Fay Gillis Wells was born Helen Fay Gillis in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on October 15, 1908. Her family moved a lot across the US and Canada. This was because her father was a mining engineer. She finished high school in Elizabeth, New Jersey, in 1925. She then studied at Michigan State University but left to follow her other interests.
Becoming a Pilot
In August 1929, Fay started flying planes. On September 1, 1929, she became one of the first women pilots to join the Caterpillar Club. This club is for pilots who have saved their lives by parachuting from a disabled aircraft. Her plane broke apart during stunts over Long Island, and she had to bail out. Soon after, she became the first air saleswoman and demonstrator for Curtiss Flying Service.
Later that year, she helped create the "Ninety-Nines." She was its first secretary, and famous pilot Amelia Earhart was the first president. When Fay passed away, she was one of only four founding members still active in the group.
Reporting from Around the World
From 1930 to 1934, Fay was in the Soviet Union with her father. She worked as a reporter, covering aviation for the New York Herald Tribune. She also reported for The New York Times and Associated Press. While there, she was the first American woman to fly a Soviet civilian plane. She was also the first foreigner to own a Soviet glider.
Fay helped with the plans in Russia for famous pilot Wiley Post's solo flight around the world in 1933. In 1934, she was The New York Times' reporter at the crowning of Emperor Pu Yi of Manchukuo.
Marriage and Adventures
In 1935, Fay planned to go with Wiley Post on another round-the-world flight. But instead, she secretly married the well-known foreign reporter Linton Wells (1893–1976). For their honeymoon, they reported on the Italian invasion of Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and riots in Syria for the Herald Tribune.
While in Ethiopia, Linton gave Fay a leopard cub for Christmas. They named her The Queen of Sheba, but called her Snooks. Snooks was not Fay's only unusual pet. Over her life, Fay had two cheetahs, a lemur, and a small fox from the Sahara Desert.
Pioneering Radio and War Efforts
After reporting on Hollywood in 1936, Fay and her husband started something new. In 1938, they made the first overseas radio broadcasts from Latin America for The Magic Key of RCA. Fay was a founding member of the Overseas Press Club. She also helped set up the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarships.
In 1939, President Roosevelt suggested that Fay and her husband look into places in Africa. They were searching for possible safe locations for Jewish people. After World War II began, they led the US Commercial Company in West Africa. This company bought important materials for the war effort.
Return to the US
Fay returned to the United States after her son Linton II was born in Luanda in 1946. She became a full-time mother and lived on a houseboat for a while. She was very creative. She designed the insides of yachts and wrote a newspaper column called “Nautical Notebook” for the Herald Tribune. She even got a patent for a furniture design for boats.
In 1963, she came to Washington to open the Washington News Bureau for the Storer Broadcasting Company. This was the largest privately owned radio and television network in the US at the time. From 1964 to 1977, she was Storer’s White House reporter. She was the first female broadcaster allowed to report from the White House. She was also one of three women reporters chosen to go with President Nixon to China in 1972.
Promoting Aviation and Friendship
During this time, Fay became involved with flying and education again. This started with the Amelia Earhart stamp in 1962. She led the first international 99s convention in 1967. She began to encourage using flying and planting trees to promote friendship between countries.
In 1976, during the Bicentennial year, this led to the creation of the International Forest of Friendship in Atchison, Kansas. This is Amelia Earhart’s hometown. From 1976, Fay was a co-leader for the yearly ceremonies at the Forest. She was still planning future events when she passed away. She also worked to create several scholarship funds.
Awards and Honors
Fay Gillis Wells received many awards for her work in aviation and broadcasting. Some of these include:
- 1972 Woman of the Year by OX5 Aviation Pioneers
- 1984 Women’s Aerospace Achievement Award
- 1998 Esther Van Wagoner Tufty Award for broadcasting and personal achievement
- 2001 Katherine Wright Award for outstanding contributions to aviation
- 2002 Amelia Earhart Pioneering Achievement Award
- American Women in Radio and Television Lifetime Achievement Award
In 1995, Gene and Carolyn Shoemaker, who were famous for discovering comets and asteroids, named Asteroid 4820 in her honor.
Legacy
Fay Gillis Wells passed away on December 2, 2002, at the age of 94. She left behind a brother, her son Linton Wells II, and his wife, grandsons, nieces, and nephews. The International Forest of Friendship continues to be a living reminder of her important contributions.
Images for kids
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Fay Wells with the Winnie Mae in 1976
