J.H. Carmichael*

J. H. Carmichael was born in Newark and worked as a miner, clerk, and farmer as a youth. He was a Michigan farm boy when he decided to make aviation his career. In 1926, at the age of 19, young Carmichael went to Chicago to take flying lessons. After only six hours of solo flight, he qualified as an instructor and worked for a time as a teacher. He then became an airmail pilot, stunt flyer, cropduster, and barnstormer.

Eventually, Carmichael settled down as an airline pilot and became chief pilot of Central Airlines. His enthusiasm for flying and the "air age" never waned, and he became Central's vice president in charge of operations. In 1946, he was made executive vice president and later became president of the company, which by then was called Capital Air Lines and was the nation's fifth-largest airline. By 1957, Capital had about 7,500 employees and annual revenues exceeding $94 million.

After leaving Capital in 1958, he joined Fairchild Engine and Airplane Corporation and served as its president until 1960.