Viewing page 20 of 24

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

119 
30

o
[[stamped]] FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE
[[/stamped]]

Edison F. Gallaudet 
Early Wright Pilot - Engineer - Manufacturer 

Edson F. Gallaudet was born in Washington, D.C.^, April 21, 1871, son of Dr. Edward Ms. Gallaudet, founder of Gallaudet College for the Deaf.  He attended high school at Hartford, Conn^ecticut, and graduated from Yale University with ^an A.B. degree in 1893. [[strikethrough]] having been on [[/strikethrough]] He was a member of the varsity crew for 1892-1893.  He received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 1896, and was with Westinghouse Electric Company the balance of that year.  In 1897 he returned to Yale as instructor of physics [[strikethrough]] where [[/strikethrough]] he remained there until 1900.  At this time he joined the Cramps Shipbuilding Company, Philadelphia, Pa., and [[strikethrough]] was [[/strikethrough]] stayed there until 1903, at which time he left to join the Platt Iron Works, Dayton, Ohio.  In 1908 Gallaudet returned to Connecticut [[strikethrough]] and [[/strikethrough]] and entered into engineering consulting work.

As a youth he was always interested in soaring birds and the possibility of human [[strikethrough]] manual [[/strikethrough]] flight [[strikethrough]] and throughout his early years he made a [[/strikethrough]] with muscular power and, as a result, was continually studying [[strikethrough]] of [[/strikethrough]] aeronautics.  While in Yale he was privately experimenting with a pontoon-equipped kite, employing [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] warping wings [[strikethrough]] principle [[/strikethrough]] for lateral balance, but due to faculty ridicule, he abandoned his experiments.  As the art of aviation progressed, Gallaudet followed [[strikethrough]] the [[/strikethrough]] developments with ever increasing interest.  In December, 1909, he became a [[strikethrough]] n early [[/strikethrough]] member of the Aero Club of America.  He never missed an opportunity to attend [[strikethrough]] all early [[/strikethrough]] flying events in the east, and in July, 1910 founded the Gallaudet Engineering Company of Norwich, Conn.  Incorporators were: Edson F. Gallaudet, his brother Denison Gallaudet and Grosvenor Ely, all of Norwich.  They were experimenting with the design and construction [[strikethrough]] and development [[/strikethrough]] of an [[strikethrough]] aeroplane [[/strikethrough]] airplane and formed