Talbott, Harold Elstner

Parents

Harold Talbott was born in Dayton, Ohio, in March 1888. Talbott's father was a wealthy engineer who participated in the construction of Su dams on Lake Superior. Talbott Sr. was the first mayor of Oakwood, a city in Ohio. He also took part in rebuilding Dayton from the 1913 flood.

Career

He studied at Yale University for two years. From 1906 to 1913, Harold Talbott served as president of the Platt Iron Works in Dayton with his teammate Edwin F. Platt. Talbott's interest in aviation arose during the days of the first flights of the Wright brothers . He was a student of Katrina Wright and a client of the brothers bike store. In 1915, Talbot helped build one of the first wind tunnels for aviation experiments. At the beginning of World War I, he joined the US Army with the rank of colonel and became the chief of the aviation industry. Under his leadership, purchases of aircraft were conducted at the McCook training ground, the predecessor of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

In 1925, Talbott moved to New York and became director of the Chrysler Corporation.

Talbot was an active participant in the fundraising campaign for the presidential campaign of the Republican candidate in 1940, 1948 and 1952.

Minister

February 4, 1953 he was appointed Minister of the Air Force during the Korean War. This war prompted the US Congress to expand the number of squadrons and, accordingly, spending on infrastructure, which allowed Talbot to focus on the needs of pilots and their families. Also during his tenure as minister, the salary of the pilots increased. Talbott appointed a commission to help him choose a permanent location for the Air Force Academy. Having reviewed 580 proposed sites in 45 states, the commission recommended three places. Of these, he chose a place near Colorado Springs.

Death

Died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Palm Beach, Florida, March 2, 1957.

In 1925 he married Margaret Talbot Thayer (1898-1960)

• U.S. Air Force
• US Department of Defense