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[[Stamp]] 
FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MOREHOUSE 

RODGER W. JANNUS 
Early Benoist Pilot - World War I Instructor 

Rodger W. Jannus was born in Washington, D. C. December 25, 1886, the son of Franklin Jannus, patent attorney, and grand son of ex-Mayor of Washington. At age 17 he and his younger brother, Antony, were left orphans following the death of their parents. Washington attorney, J. M. Spaulding, adopted the boys and completed their schooling. Rodger attended Washington schools and then took up engineering, ultimately entering government service. He later was stationed in Panama on Canal Zone assignments. 

During late 1911 and through 1912 "Tony" Jannus was making quite a name for himself as an aviator, and through brotherly contact Rodger was induced to return and also get into the flying game. Accordingly he joined Tony at the Benoist Company, St. Louis, Mo. in the spring of 1913. There he first started [[crossed out words]] as a mechanic then began taking flight instruction about May 1st. Tony was instructor at the Benoist School at that time, however [[crossed out words: there is some evidence that]] William H. Bleakley probably also gave Rodger some of his flight instruction. He was an apt pupil and soon became an excellent pilot. By mid-summer he joined the Company staff and began to fill assigned exhibition dates. 

Rodger finished out the summer flying season at St. Louis on the exhibition