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Mrs. Blanche Stuart Scott

Hornell Aviatrix Honored by U.S.

Washington (GNS)-Some of aviation's biggest names last night paid tribute to a petite former Rochester woman, one of the first women in the world to solo in an airplane.

She is Mrs. Blanche Stuart Scott of Hornell, only woman ever taught to fly by air pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss. She took her plane aloft alone for the first time from Curtiss' school at Hammondsport, 4 years ago, in 1910.

Gen. James H. Doolittle at a banquet here last night presented Mrs. Scott with a gleaming bronze medal in recognition of her service to aviation.

She was one of 10 aviation pioneers from all parts of the world, invited here by the Aeronautics Association of the United States to receive its medal and scroll. Four of the 10 are women.

Speakers at last night's affair were Sinclair Weeks, Secretary of Commerce; Cornelis Kolff of The Netherlands, president of the Federation Aeronautique International Air Transport Association. All praised the vision and courage of Mrs. Scott and the other air pioneers. 

[[image - Headshot of Blanche Stuart Scott]]
[[caption]] MRS. BLANCHE S. SCOTT [[/caption]]

The medal, presented by Gen. Doolittle for the U. S. Aeronautics Organization, is about three inches in diameter. On one side is a profile of the Wright Brothers, and on the other a super-jet plane and the Wright flyer, which the Wright brothers first took into the air at Kitty Hawk, N. C., 50 years ago.

The scroll accompanying the medal said it was given to Mrs. Scott in appreciation and recognition of her "real pioneering efforts which have contributed so importantly to the continuing progress of aviation during the first half-century since Kitty Hawk."

The 10 pioneers and other early aviation individuals are here for a three-day program. They were received by President Eisenhower at the White House yesterday noon, then entertained at a luncheon. Another luncheon today noon, followed by a trip to the National Aviation Museum, ends the program.

Tuesday the group went to Kitty Hawk and toured Kill Devil Hill by helicopter, from which the Wrights flew their plane.

The four women will be entertained at a separate luncheon tomorrow by the "The Ninety-Nines," international organization of women pilots.

Mrs. Scott was born in Rochester Apr. 8, 1891, the daughter of John C. and Bell J. Scott. She was educated at Miss Nichols' School for Girls at Rochester, The Howard Seminary at West Bridgewater, and the Fort Edward Seminary at Fort Edward, N. Y.

She attended Curtiss' Flying School at Hammondsport, on Keuka Lake, and soloed when she was 19 years old. 

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