Olive Ann Beech, née Olive Ann Mellor, (born Sept. 25, 1903, Waverly, Kan., U.S.—died July 6, 1993, Wichita, Kan.), American businesswoman who served first as secretary-treasurer (1932–50) after which as president (1950–68) and chairman of the board (1950–82) of Beech Aircraft Corporation, a number one producer of enterprise and army airplanes based by her and her husband, Walter H. Beech.
Olive Ann Mellor studied bookkeeping and stenography at a secretarial and enterprise faculty in Wichita after which labored as a bookkeeper for {an electrical} provide and contracting agency in Augusta, Kan. In 1924 she was employed by the Travel Air Manufacturing Company, which had not too long ago been based in Wichita and was being run by flyers and plane engineers Lloyd Stearman, Clyde Cessna, and Walter Beech. Soon she was dealing with the enterprise finish of the operation, working variously as secretary, bookkeeper, and workplace supervisor of the rising firm. In 1930 Olive Ann and Walter had been married. Two daughters had been born of their marriage, which additionally was the inspiration of a exceptional enterprise partnership.
In 1929 Walter Beech, who had assumed the presidency of Travel Air, bought the corporate to the Curtiss-Wright Company and stayed on as an officer of the brand new mum or dad firm. The couple lived at varied occasions in St. Louis and New York City. In 1932, on the depth of the Great Depression, Walter and Olive Ann returned to Wichita and based the Beech Aircraft Company with one other investor and a small group of engineers. Olive Ann was the secretary-treasurer, once more dealing with enterprise issues whereas her husband, the corporate president, designed and bought airplanes. In 1936, when the corporate issued frequent inventory, Olive Ann grew to become a member of the board of administrators of Beech Aircraft Corporation. Also in that 12 months she advised that feminine aviator Louise Thaden compete within the prestigious Bendix Transcontinental Air Race in a Beechcraft Staggerwing, certainly one of a sequence of enormous, quick, and costly biplanes that the corporate had been producing for the enterprise market. Thaden received the coast-to-coast race, bringing necessary publicity to the corporate.
World War II introduced nice change and development to Beech Aircraft, because it expanded manufacturing and transformed a few of its fashions to army use. Olive Ann Beech performed a central function, acquiring financing for plant enlargement and assuming private management over the corporate whereas her husband was hospitalized in 1940 with an assault of encephalitis. After the conflict the corporate resumed civilian manufacturing but additionally continued to supply for the U.S. army and commenced to subcontract subassemblies for different plane firms.
Walter Beech died in 1950, and Olive Ann was elected to switch him as president and chairman of the board. She ran the corporate for the following 18 years, throughout which period Beech Aircraft expanded its line of high-performance common aviation planes, subcontracted work within the space-exploration trade, and in addition produced army trainers, transports, and goal drones. Olive Ann Beech steadfastly resisted bringing the corporate into the jet age, arguing that it was extra worthwhile to construct on the corporate’s historic line of propeller-driven craft, for which there was nonetheless a market. During her tenure she progressively eliminated or disciplined a number of firm administrators who had been family members and previous colleagues of her late husband, all of the whereas elevating her personal nephew, Frank Hedrick, to higher obligations within the firm.
As the astute, imperious, and impeccably tailor-made feminine president of a profitable firm, Beech grew to become famend amongst journalists and aerospace fans because the “first lady” and “queen” of American aviation. Made rich by the corporate’s success, she patronized arts teams and funded native and statewide scholarships. She acquired many honours and tributes, together with the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy in 1980 “for five decades of outstanding leadership in the development of general aviation.” Beech, who by no means realized to fly, was the primary girl to obtain that award. In 1968 Beech handed over the presidency of Beech Aircraft to Hedrick whereas staying on as chairman of the board. In 1980 Beech Aircraft was bought by the Raytheon Company, and Beech grew to become a member of the board of the brand new proprietor. In 1982 Raytheon requested the resignations of Beech and Hedrick, and Beech absolutely retired from the aerospace enterprise.