Viewing page 9 of 13

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

developments, as many of his sportsmen friends were buying them for personal use. During the fall months of 1914 Thomson made a number of flights with the Jannus brothers in their flying boats when they were operating at Baltimore, Maryland. Some flights were made to hunt ducks from the air. 
In June, 1915, Thompson ordered a new Curtiss Model F boat, with a Curtiss 0XX engine, and went to Hemmondsport, New York for some flying boat instruction to become acquainted with the controls and operation. When his boat was ready for delivery it was taken to Philadelphia where he did considerable flying with it at League Island for the remainder of the season. Philadelphia sportsman Robert Glendinning, who already owned a Curtiss boat, was also operating his craft there. That fall Thompson entered the Curtiss Marine Trophy Contest, representing the Aero Club of Pennsylvania. 
Over the winter months of 1915-1916 he was one of several wealthy sportsmen [[crossed out]] [[?]] flying boats [[/crossed out]] who took their [[crossed out]] [[?]] [[/crossed out]] flying boats to Florida for the winter to form a Sportsman's aviation Colony at Miami. Returning to Philadelphia in the Spring Thompson continued to operate his Curtiss flying boat [[crossed out]] at Philadelphia again in 1916 [[/crossed out]] and took advanced flying instruction from Walter Johnson at the Philadelphia School of aviation later that season. 
In May, 1917 soon after America's entry into World War I, Thompson was commissioned First Lieutenant, Aviation section, Signal Corps, and assigned to an Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, [[crossed out]] Kelley [[/crossed out]] Texas. In late June he was transferred to the 23d at Aero Squadron at Mineola, Long Island, [[crossed out]] [[?]] [[/crossed out]]. He was discharged from this service in late October, 1917 and transferred to the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, later becoming assistant to Dr. George W. Lewis, head of that group. 
After World War I Thompson was connected with the Bureau of Municipal Research, Department of Government, Harvard University. Following this he made his home in Santa Barbara, California for some time, then returned to Pennsylvania to live on his farm at Newton Square. Periods of illness [[crossed out]] [[?]] [[/crossed out]] affected his later years and after gradually failing health he passed away February 7, 1940, at Providence, Rhode Island at age 64. He was survived by his wife, a sister and a brother. 
Flying Pioneer Clarke Thompson was [[crossed out]] strictly [[/crossed out]] a wealthy sportsman pilot who