Evelyn Esther Nicholas Burleson Whitmaker Waldren was the first woman in Nebraska to become a pilot, the first woman in North Dakota with a transport pilot's license, and one of the first women in the United States with a flight instructor's license.
33 Facts About Evelyn Waldren
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Evelyn Waldren's parents divorced when she was young, and she and her younger sister, Virginia, were raised by their mother and stepfather.
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Evelyn Waldren was skilled at drawing and considered a career as an artist.
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Evelyn Waldren wanted to go for a plane ride, but her parents were concerned about the risks.
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Finally, on March 1,1928, Evelyn Waldren's mother agreed to let her train at the Lincoln School of aviation and to pay for the first fifty hours of lessons.
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Evelyn Waldren hoped to get a transport pilot's license, but needed 200 hours of flying time to qualify.
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Evelyn Waldren worked as a clerk and a ticket salesman, saving whatever money she could spare towards her transport license.
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In 1929, Evelyn Waldren married Howard Burleson, who had been one of her instructors at the Lincoln flying school.
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Evelyn Waldren worked as an airways observer for the weather bureau and as a station agent and traffic representative for a local firm.
10.
Evelyn Waldren recalled her time there in a 1986 interview:.
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Evelyn Waldren wrote a column on aviation for the Albany Democrat-Herald, called Wings Over Willamette.
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In February 1939, Evelyn Waldren was appointed an air patrolman by the Albany chief of police, making her the second female air patrolman in Oregon.
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Evelyn Waldren's jurisdiction extended over the airport, where she had the responsibility of enforcing aviation law and responding to any emergencies.
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Evelyn Waldren was recommended for the post by the Aero Policewoman's Association of America.
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Evelyn Waldren became a Civilian Aviation Authority Flight Examiner after passing her written exam with a score of 94.
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Evelyn Waldren was named vice governor of the chapter, which included Edith Foltz, Leah Hing, and Bessie Gale Halliday.
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In 1941, Evelyn Waldren planned a nonstop flight from Canada to Mexico.
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Evelyn Waldren had delayed her flight by a day due to bad weather.
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Evelyn Waldren was recruited by Jacqueline Cochran to join the British Air Transport Auxiliary, but backed out when her mother and sister objected.
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Evelyn Waldren was one of two female instructors at the base.
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Evelyn Waldren charged her husband with "cruel and inhuman treatment" and petitioned for custody of Douglas.
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In 1946, Evelyn Waldren ferried planes from the Taylorcraft Aviation Corporation in Alliance, Ohio to the Northwest Aircraft Distributing Corporation at Evergreen Field in Washington.
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Evelyn Waldren was paid 250 dollars for every plane she transported, but had to arrange her own return trips without compensation.
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Evelyn Waldren delivered three to four planes a month, flying 13 to 14 hours a day.
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In December 1946, Evelyn Waldren left this job and joined the Piercy Flying Service in Medford, Oregon as a flight instructor.
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Evelyn Waldren served as the public relations coordinator of the Oregon State Board of Aeronautics.
27.
Evelyn Waldren planned the Central Oregon Aviation Day held in June 1949, an educational event which provided free plane rides.
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Evelyn Waldren arranged invitations and registration to the Salem Aviation Day held on August 28,1949, where she demonstrated pattern flying and dead-stick landings.
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Evelyn Waldren helped organize an airshow in Lebanon, Oregon, and escorted former Oregon resident Kathleen "Klondike Kate" Van Duren to the event.
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Evelyn Waldren was the first woman in Oregon with this rating.
31.
In 1971, Evelyn Waldren began working for the Mill Plain Flying Service at Evergreen Field in Washington as a flight instructor.
32.
Six months before her death, Evelyn Waldren was training nearly a dozen students.
33.
In 1978, Evelyn Waldren was named the National OX-5 Pioneer Aviatrix of the Year.