Research paper

Emmanuel Perez 

Mr. Skipper

Encounters 7

03/10/2024

Flying High: The Mind Behind Boeing

Introduction

Have you ever heard the saying “The Sky's The Limit”? William E. Boeing took that saying seriously by going from a lumberman to becoming a world-known Airplane company owner. William E. Boeing was a man with huge goals that not many could accomplish. Although there were hardships, William E. Boeing kept soaring on with his career. Boeing’s first business was lumber, lumber was essential for people for building houses and for firewood. Seattle is a cold place so starting off with lumber is a good start since it has a good profit. Boeing later started his airmail business in Seattle where he bought and fixed up an old martini hydroplane. William’s flight career started after he fixed up his Martin hydroplane and began an international mail route, William continued his business in Washington where he later moved onto international and war planes. Boeing continued his career, but retired and became a horse breeder and real estate agent and then died a happy and successful life. William E. Boeing's career choice had a huge impact on the world and how young minds see aviation today.

Childhood and Early Life

A boy from a broken home with a bright future to a wealthy businessman, William E. Boeing’s company has made billions of dollars even though he had rough beginnings. William Edward Boeing was born in Detroit, Michigan on October 1, 1881 (Schultz).  Boeing's father, Wilhelm Böing, and Marie Ortman, Boeing's mother, raised Boeing in Detroit, Michigan. William E Boeing had two other siblings, Gretchen and Caroline Boeing. When Boeing was young, his father died from influenza on a train ride back to Michigan after a business trip. Marie Boeing, William E. Boeing's mom, married a Virginia physician and left Detroit (Schultz).  William did not get along with his new stepfather so his mom and stepdad decided to send him to multiple boarding schools to improve his bad character. Once he grew up, William E. Boeing attended Yale's Scientific School (William E. Boeing House). Boeing's first job was working as a lumberman in Grays Harbor, Washington. William E. Boeing later moved to Seattle in 1908 where he managed his timberlands, establishing the Greenwood Timber Company '' (Wiliam E. Boeing House). “Sometime later, while still in Seattle, Boeing built his first airplane and established and flew the first international mail route” (Wiliam E. Boeing House).

Beginning of Career

Boeing started as a lumberjack in Washington and later moved to Seattle where he continued his logging business. Once in Seattle, Boeing's interests shifted over to airplanes but he continued in the logging business. Boeing “took lessons, and purchased a Martin hydroplane” (William E. Boeing House). “Boeing founded his aeronautical products company shortly after that, established a production plant at the Red Barn, and built his first airplane in 1916” (William E. Boeing House). In June of 1916, Boeing was waiting for his test pilot to arrive but the pilot was late to test the plane so Wiliam Boeing decided to hop onto the plane and take it for a test flight over Lake Union. “Over the next few days, under Boeing’s orders, the pilot taxied the plane around the lake to test the controls” (Marvinney). Once when Boeing was testing out his planes he decided to fly over the University of Washington and dropped small cardboard bombs that read: "Protection Through Preparedness. This harmless card in the hands of a hostile foe might have been a bomb dropped upon you. Aeroplanes are your defense!!!! Aero Club of the Northwest''. “When aviator Terah Maroney landed on Lake Union in 1915, Boeing and Westervelt stood in line and took several flights each. They had to sit on the wing and hold on to the leading edge while Maroney's old Curtiss airplane skipped across the choppy water and into the sky” (Schultz).

Career Achievements

William E Boeing had many significant accomplishments during his life. Most of them made him the famous man he is today and other accomplishments made him an inspiration to young people’s minds who think with the same passion as him. All of this started from a simple lumber company to making three international airplane strands of business. “William Boeing and Conrad Westervelt believed they could build a better airplane than the Martin floatplane. For enhanced stability during landing and takeoff, they replaced the TA's single pontoon with two pontoons and two outriggers.” (Schultz).  On July fifteen 1916, William E. Boeing established his company and named it Pacific Aero Products Company. Thanks to the help of Conrad Westervelt and the many engineers, William was able to successfully start his plane company. Sometime after this around “1917 Bill Boeing made a personal gift of $6,000 to the UW to construct a wind tunnel to test plane models. In return, the university committed to offer aeronautics courses to train engineers for work at his fledgling company” (Marvinney). The Kirsten wind tunnel in The University of Washington was started in 1918 and successfully finished in 1936 thanks to William E Boeing's contribution and encouragement. Thanks to the Kirsten Wind Tunnel, William E Boeing was able to test out his planes and establish his company. With the help of Conrad Westervelt and his many test pilots, William E Boeing became the successful businessman that we know today. Even though William E Boeing had many terrible experiences along the way, all of his accomplishments left a huge impact on the world and how People see the world of aviation today. 

 Conclusion - Death and Legacy

William Edward Boeing, one of America’s greatest aviators, founder of “The Boeing company™”, and a proud father. Thanks to all of William E Boeing's contributions and how he changed the world, we can see the world of aviation differently than we would have if he hadn't had such a huge impact. Boeing died on September 28th, 1956 at the age of 74. “Just two years before his death. Boeing had donated his home to a local hospital, which benefited from the sale of the estate to private owners” (William E. Boeing House). Boeing was able to help out the United States by supplying about 50 airplanes for the United States Navy during World War I. Boeing’s impact was not just from planes but from lumber, if Boeing hadn't started off with a lumber company he would probably have never become the successful man he is known as today. "Bill Boeing was the Bill Gates of his generation and his visionary spirit pervades our company's culture," he said. "His relationship with the UW was special, and the naming reflects both a natural synergy and Boeing's confidence in the university in our backyard (Marvinney). William’s death was a huge loss for America and had quite an impact on the world. “William Boeing died of a heart attack aboard the Taconite on September 28, 1956, after a long period of failing health, just three days before his 75th birthday. According to his son, Boeing "pursued his curiosity, studied things carefully, and never dismissed the novel" (Schultz).

Works Cited

Marvinney, Sandy. ‘The William E. Boeing department of A&A.” www.engr.washington.edu/news/article/2017-11-03/william-e-boeing-department-history. 

Schultz, Jhon, and David Wilma. “Boeing William Edward.” HistoryLink, 21 Dec 2006,  www.historylink.org/file/8023. 

“William E. Boeing House.” National Parks Service, www.nps.gov/articles/william-e-boeing-house.htm.