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JOHN A. D. McCURDY
Early Curtiss Exhibition Pilot - Canadian Aviation Pioneer

John A. D. McCurdy was born August 2, 1886, at Baddeck, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, son of a former newspaper editor who was later secretary to Dr. Alexander Graham Bell. McCurdy attended school at Cape Breton Village, and during his youth spent 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. "Casey" 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, Nova Scotia, 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 helping with Dr. Bell's tetrahedral kite experiments.
In October, 1907, Dr. and Mrs. Bell formed the Aerial Experiment Association, America's second scientific project for research in flight, the first was the Wright brothers project begun in 1899. Mrs. Bell financed the Association, Glenn Curtiss was appointed Director of Experiments; Baldwin, [[strikethrough]] as [[/strikethrough]] Chief Engineer; McCurdy, [[strikethrough]] as [[/strikethrough]] Treasurer; and, Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge of the U. S. Army, [[strikethrough]] as [[/strikethrough]] Secretary. The life of the charter was for one year, with operations to take place at Baddeck in the summer and at Hammondsport, New York, where Curtiss lived, in the winter. Their objective was to develop a practical flying machine. It was Dr. Bell's intention that each of the other four members would have a turn at designing an airplane with the others offering suggestions and assisting in the construction.
Lt. Selfridge was given leave from his Army duties to become a member. The first project was to raise a man into the air with a large kite. Dr. Bell