When Sheila E. Widnall was sworn in as the eighteenth Secretary of the Air Force on August 6, 1993, she not only made Air Force history as the first woman to hold that post, she also made U.S. military history as the first—and, as yet, only—female Secretary of any military service.
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Esther M. Blake is considered the first woman in the Air Force. She enlisted on July 8, 1948, within the first minute the Air Force was officially authorized to accept women for regular duty.
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When Eileen Marie Collins was growing up, she wondered whether her family would be able to afford to send her to college; little did she know just how far she would go. Not only did Collins receive an undergraduate education, but she went on to master piloting not only planes, but space shuttles, and made history as the first woman to pilot and command a shuttle.
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An entrepreneur and exceptional pilot, Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran set records unparalleled by any pilot, male or female. Cochran was born Bessie Lee Pittman and grew up poor in the panhandle of Florida. Her experience working in a local beautician’s salon filled her with dreams of creating her own line of cosmetics. In 1929, she moved to New York City, got a job in an upscale salon, and gained a significant and loyal clientele. In 1932, Cochran met millionaire Floyd Bostwick Odlum, who encouraged her to get her pilot’s license in order to more easily travel to build and maintain her cosmetics business.
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