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FROM THE FLYING PIONEERS BIOGRAPHIES OF HAROLD E. MPOREHOUSE
JOHN A. D. McCURDY
Early Curtiss Exhibition Pilot - Canadian Aviation Pioneer
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John A. D. McCurdy was born August 2, 1886 at Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, son of a former newspaper editor but was at this time was secretary to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell.  McCurdy attended school at Cape Breton Village, and during his youth spend considerable time watching the various experimental projects of Dr. Bell, and decided he wanted to become a mechanical engineer.

As a result he entered the University of Toronto in 1903 as an engineering student. F. W. Baldwin was in his class and they became close friends.  As McCurdy graduated in 1907 he received a letter from Mrs. Bell asking him to return to Baddeck to assist Dr. Bell and, if possible, to bring another graduate he could recommend.  Her invitation was accepted and during that summer both McCurdy and Baldwin were assigned to Dr. Bell's tetrahedral kite experiments.

In October Dr. and Mrs. Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association, the world's second scientific project for research in flight, the first having been that of the Wright brothers, starting in 1900 and continuing through 1905.  The Bells financed the project, appointing Glenn Curtiss as Director of Experiments, Baldwin as Chief Engineer, McCurdy as Treasurer and Lieutenant Selfridge of the U. S. Army as Secretary.  The life of the charter was for one year, with oper-

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