Dean Smith

Dean Cullen Smith (September 27, 1899 – March 4, 1987) was a pioneer American mail pilot, test pilot, flying instructor, Antarctic pilot, and airline pilot. At 17 years of age, he became the youngest flight instructor in U.S. Army history. He was a lead pilot for the U.S. Postal Service's airmail service, and was the first pilot to initiate night air mail flights. He was an executive for many airlines and aircraft companies. Smith was a pilot for the Byrd Antarctic Expedition of 1928–1930 involved in aerial overflights to discover new land that could be claimed for the benefit of the United States. The land was later viewed by Byrd and named after his wife. Smith was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Congressional Gold Medal. An Antarctic peak bears his name. He was inducted into the New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame in 1986. Early life and education Smith was born in Cove, Oregon, on September 27, 1899 at his grandparents home. His parents were Joshua Cullow Smith and Rhoda Harris Smith. When he was three years old he traveled with his family to Central America where his father's business was headquartered. He would often run away from home to go to his grandmother's to hear her talk about the pioneer days of covered-wagons. As a child, Smith attended public schools in Oregon. After high school he attended two years at Principia College in St. Louis, Missouri, but did not graduate. Mid life and career