Bernard L. Whelan Collection

Bernard L. Whelan, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, learned how to fly from the Wright brothers and held license No. 247 from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) and the Aero Club of America. He was a World War I civilian flight instructor for the U.S. Army Signal Corps and a test pilot for World War I aircraft manufactured by the Dayton Wright Co. in Dayton, Ohio. He flew as a private pilot for Dayton notables including Col. Edward Deeds, Charles F. Kettering, and Harold Talbott; taught Kettering how to fly; formed a flying company—the Rhinehart-Whelan Co.; and in 1928 joined Pratt and Whitney. In 1943, he became the general manager of Sikorsky Aircraft, retiring as Sikorsky's general manager and a vice president of United Aircraft. He was a pallbearer at Orville Wright’s funeral.

This collection contains selected items from his papers and possessions, donated to the University Archives by Whelan and his daughter, Mary Anne Whelan, M.D., Ph.D.

For more information or to see more of Bernard Whelan's collection, contact the University Archives.