Edward V. Rickenbacker*

Eddie Rickenbacker was born in 1890 in Columbus, Ohio, and was the son of Swiss German-speaking immigrants. When Rickenbacker was 13, his father died. As a result, Rickenbacker was forced to leave school to support his family, but he later studied mechanical engineering and drafting at the International Correspondence School, a mail-order college in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

In his teens, Rickenbacker worked as an automobile mechanic and then became a race car driver. When World War I broke out, he was at the height of his racing career. By the time the United States declared war on Germany, Rickenbacker had already enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sent to France as a sergeant first class. His mechanical abilities earned him a job as an engineering officer at the 3rd Aviation Instruction Center, where he practiced flying in his free time. He eventually attained his wings and became a pilot.

Rickenbacker served with the 94th Aero Squadron. By war's end, he had downed 26 enemy planes, earning him the title "Ace of Aces." He received seven Distinguished Service Crosses and both the Legion of Honor and Croix de Guerre from France. In 1931, President Herbert Hoover belatedly awarded him the Medal of Honor.

Between the wars, Rickenbacker started an auto company. His car, the Rickenbacker, came equipped with the first four-wheel brake system. In 1927, he bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In the late 1920s, he helped form Eastern Air Lines, which for a time was the most profitable airline in the country.