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[[stamp]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE [[/STAMP]]

[[Left-margin]] Dear Carol: s'nice to have you here in case I'm not in the [[image]] hand-drawn dog house [[/image]] Please [[circled in red]]re-type [[/circled in red]] Santa Claus. [[red pencil]] Done! [[/red pencil]] [[/Left-margin]]

Information is lacking concerning the date and place of birth of Dr. Christmas [[crossed-out]] this man [[/crossed-out]], but his advanced education was received at St. Johns Military Academy, then at Alexandria, Virginia, the University of Virginia and George Washington University. [[crossed-out]] and [[/crossed-out]] He held Bachelor of Arts, Master of arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees. In his youth he was interested in building and flying kites. 
After completing his education Christmas opened a medical practice in Washington, D.C.[[crossed-out]] during this time he [[/crossed-out]] and became personal physician to Samuel Pierpont Langley [[crossed-out]] of Langley plane fame and closely followed those early aviation experiments [[/crossed-out]] then (1887-1903) Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, and engaged in aviation experiments with aerodynamic apparatus, flying models, and a man-carrying "aerodrome." Christmas was very interested in these aviation developments. As a result of this and the success of the Wright brothers Christmas began experiments of his own in 1905 while still practicing medicine. 

[[strikethrough]] After his [[/strikethrough]] Christmas first [[strikethrough]] gliding trials in 1905 and the death of Langley [[/strikethrough]] made and flew a glider. Langley died in February 1906. [[strikethrough]] he [[/strikethrough]] Soon after, Christmas started making a powered [[strikethrough]] machine [[/strikethrough]] airplane assisted by C.W. Fulton and son. It was a biplane with an engine in the rear driving two pusher propellers by chain transmission. When completed, Christmas started [[strikethrough]] grass cutting [[/strikethrough]] taxiing     practice on the farm of Robert H. Ions near Fairfax Court House, Virginia where, following many after overcoming [[strikethrough]] trials and tribulations [[/strikethrough]] difficulties, he became air-borne briefly on March 1st, 1908. [[strikethrough]] This [[/strikethrough]] Practice continued and on March 8th he made a [[strikethrough]] n extended hop and [[/strikethrough]] successful take-off, brief flight, and safe landing [[strikethrough]] safely [[/strikethrough]] to be become the third man [[strikethrough]] to fly [[/strikethrough]] to fly a powered airplane in the United States. [[strikethrough]] On this plane [[/strikethrough]] With this airplane Christmas [[strikethrough]] used [[/strikethrough]]