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W. REDMOND CROSS  
Early Wright Sportsman Pilot

FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE

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William Redmond Cross was born in South Orange , New Jersey on June 8th, 1874. He attended Groton and Yale, where he was an outstanding athlete in football and rowing. After graduating in 1896 with a BA degree he spent two years with a London banking firm, then returned to join the staff of the Manhattan Trust Co. After a time there he resigned to become a partner in his father's banking business with Morton, Bliss and Co. When later this business firm dissolved, Cross became a partner in the firm of Redmond and Co. where he remained until his retirement from active business in 1920.

Always an active sportsman, Cross became interested in ballooning and the possibilities of flight during its early years, and in November, 1905 [[strikethrough]]he[[/strikethrough]] was one of the founder members of The Aero Club of America. During 1907, 1908 and 1909 he made some ascensions with the well known early professional balloonist, A. Leo Stevens. When the first public aeroplane flight demonstrations took place in New York during the summer and fall of 1909, Cross became very interested in [[strikethrough]] flying [[/strikethrough]] aviation. In 1910 he [[strikethrough]] followed it closely and [[/strikethrough]] was one of the organizers and a sponsor of the famed early International Aviation Tournament at Belmont Park, October 22nd through the 30th.  Cross was one of the Vice Presidents of this early gala aviation event where the world's most experienced pioneer aviators competed for flying honors.  In December Cross was elected a member of the Contest Committee of the Aero Club.  Following the [[strikethrough]] M [[/strikethrough]] meet, he became very interested in learning to fly and in the spring of 1911 [[strikethrough]] he [[/strikethrough]] was a frequent visitor [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] at the Long Island flying fields.

During the first week of June, Cross had a ride at Nassau Boulevard flying field with