Life of Mrs.

Willa Brown

Did you know that the first African American woman to earn a private and commercial

pilots license in the United States of America was Willa Beatrice Brown? Throughout her life,

from her first flight lesson in 1934 to her death in 1992, Willa Brown is known as a pioneer of

women in aviation. Even though Bessie Coleman was the first African American woman pilot.

Bessie Coleman accomplished this first flight in France, not the United States. Willa Beatrice

Brown was the first African American female to pilot an airplane in The United States of

America.

Willa Brown was born in Glasgow, Kentucky on January 22, 1906. Her parents were Hallie

Mae Carpenter Brown and Eric B. Brown. Her father was a farm owner, factory worker and

pastor. She attended Wiley High School in Terra Haute, Indiana. She continued her education at

Indiana State Teachers College and graduated in 1927 with a business degree. She would work

as a teacher until she would move to Chicago where she fell in love with flying. Willa began

flight lessons at Chicago’s Aeronautical University in 1934. It was in 1937 that she reached the

milestone of becoming the first African American woman to get her pilot’s license in the United

States. Willa also received her M.B.A. from Northwestern University in 1937.

Willa continued to be a champion for African Americans and women in aviation. She

fought for African Americans to be integrated into the Army Air Corps. In 1939, Willa helped

form the National Airmen's Association of America whose purpose was to get African

Americans into the U.S. Armed Forces as aviation cadets.

In 1940, Willa was an advocate lobbying for African Americans to be allowed into the

Civilian Pilot Training Program. She was successful and in 1941 she became a teacher and
training coordinator in the program. In 1942, Willa became the first African American officer in

the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol was founded on December 1st, 1941 and was created to

provide Civilian air support and help guard the United States boarders during World War II.

During this time, the Civil Air Patrol would spot German submarines off the coast and was

credited with destroying two submarines.

In 1943, Willa obtained her Commercial Pilots rating making her the first Woman to have

both a Commercial certificate and a mechanics certificate. Since Willa Brown was the first

African American commercial pilot in her hometown of Chicago, IL, Willa taught aviation

courses there at the high schools. Following this, she founded the Coffey flight school in 1940

with her husband Cornelius R. Coffey where she instructed approximately 200 students. Willa

opened this first flight school that was owned and operated only by African Americans. The

flight school was selected by the military to test a program for black aviators. Some of Willa

Brown’s students went on to become Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen 99th Pursuit

Squadron was the military’s first black fighter squadron. In the 1920 to 1930’s the military did

not allow African-Americans to become pilots. Willa Brown was a great leader to push the ban

to get African Americans pilots in the military. This flight school was a big move to persuade the

government that African Americans had the ability to be successful pilots. Unfortunately, the

flight school closed after World War II.

In 1946, Mrs. Brown was also the first African American to run for congress as a republican,

but she lost, even though she lost she remained publicly active and supported racial and gender

integration in the U.S Military.

In 1955, Willa Brown who was previously divorced was remarried again to Rev. J.H.

Chappell. Like her father, Rev. J.H. Chappell was also a pastor. Willa became very active in the
West Side Community Church in Chicago with her husband. In 1972, Mrs. Brown Chappell was

appointed to the Federal Aviation Administration’s Women’s Advisory board as recognition for

her contributions to aviation as a pilot, an instructor, and as an activist. Willa Brown did not have

any children with her first husband Cornelius Coffey or with Rev. Chappell. Willa Beatrice

Brown died of a stroke in Chicago on July 18, 1992.

In In 2002, Willa Brown was recognized as one of Women in Aviation's 100 most

influential women in aviation and aerospace. Her efforts, along with those of Bessie Coleman

and Janet Bragg were entered into the congressional records of a speech honoring aviation's

pioneer of woman of color. In 2003, Willa was inducted into Kentucky’s Hall of fame in the

Aviation museum. Her accomplishments will continue to inspire aviators for generations to

come.
 Works Cited
Barron Hilton Pioneers of flight Gallery. n.d. <https://pioneersofflight.si.edu/content/willa-brown-0>.

Davis, Edmond. Blackpast. 25 July 2012. <https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/brown-

willa-b-1906-1992/>.

Kratz, Jessie. The Maker of Pilots: Aviator and Civil Rights Activist Willa Beatrice Brown. 22 October 2019.
<https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2019/10/22/the-maker-of-pilots-aviator-and-civil-rights-
activist-willa-beatrice-brown/>.

Perez, Severo. WIlla Beatrice Brown. n.d. <tuskegeeairmen.org/wp-content/uploads/Willa-Brown-

Bio.pdf>.