Al Key (5 February 1905 – 17 July 1976) was an American aviator who broke a flight endurance record with his brother Fred in 1935.
Al Key | |
|---|---|
 Al Key in military uniform, ca. 1940 | |
| Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi | |
| In office July 1, 1965 – July 1, 1973 | |
| Preceded by | Henry D. Burns |
| Succeeded by | Tom Stuart |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Algene Earl Key February 5, 1905 Kemper County, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | July 17, 1976 (aged 71) Meridian, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Evelyn N. Rogers (m. 1925) |
| Children | One |
| Residence(s) | Meridian, Mississippi |
| Alma mater | Hattiesburg Normal School (now University of Southern Mississippi) Mississippi A & M College (now Mississippi State University) |
After a distinguished career in the military, he served as the mayor of Meridian, Mississippi from 1965 to 1973.
Early life and family
editAlgene Earl Key was born on a farm in Kemper County, Mississippi on February 5, 1905. He was the eldest of three sons of Elmore Benjamin (1877-1951), a physician, and Mary Ola Love (Olivier) Key (1879-1970), a homemaker. In the 1920s, Al moved with his family to Meridian.[1]
Al attended Hattiesburg Normal School (later the University of Southern Mississippi) and Mississippi A & M College (later Mississippi State University).[2]
Career
editIn 1926, Key began taking flying lessons at the Nicholas Beazley Flying School in Marshall, Missouri. After obtaining his pilot's license, he sparked his brother Fred's interest in flying.[1] He and his brother Fred started their own flying school in Sedalia, Missouri.[1][2]
Returning to Meridian in 1930, Al became the city's first licensed pilot. He and Fred started a flying school based at the old Bonita Airport in Meridian.[2]
In 1935, Al and Fred broke an aviation endurance record when they flew a single engine plane 653 hours and 34 minutes. It was their third attempt. In recognition of their achievement the Meridian airport was named Key Field in their honor.[1][2][3]
Thirty years later, it was still the official endurance record. However, by that time at least two flights were claimed to be of longer duration.[1]
Military service
editIn 1939, Key formed one of the first Air National Guard units in the United States. Immediately after America entered World War Two, it was also one of the first units called to active duty.[1]
In the early days of the U.S. involvement in World War Two, Key served with distinction as a bomber pilot. One of his many honors was receiving the distinguished service cross in 1943 for flying his severely damaged plane during a raid in France, which was then under the control of Nazi Germany.[3]
Key retired from the military in 1960. At the time of his retirement, he served as deputy commander of Headquarters Continental Airways and Air Communications Service Area located at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.[1]
Mayor of Meridian
editKey served two terms as mayor of Meridian from 1965 to 1973.[2]
Death
editOn Saturday, July 3, 1976, just one day before the Bicentennial, Key was involved in an automobile accident. He died two weeks later at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian as a result of his injuries.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "July 1 real red letter day In life of Colonel Al Key". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. 27 Jun 1965. p. 18. Retrieved 8 April 2024 – via newspapers.com.
Next Thursday, July 1, 1965, thirty years to. the day since the historical flight of the "Flying Keys", Col. Key's term as mayor of the City of Meridian will officially begin. More than 30,000 spectators were on hand when the Key Brothers made their landing in 1935. The Keys had succeeded in setting the new record on their third attempt.
- ^ a b c d e f "Former mayor and pilot, Al Key, Meridian, dies". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. 18 Jul 1976. p. 25. Retrieved 28 March 2024 – via newspapers.com.
Al Key served two terms as mayor of Meridian, 1965 to 1973, was president of the Lauderdale County Heart Assn., member of the Popular Springs Drive United Methodist Church and former director of the county's Civil Defense.
- ^ a b "Major Algene Key is awarded DSC". The York Daily News-Times. York, Nebraska. March 2, 1943. p. 5. Retrieved March 28, 2024 – via newspapers.com.
Maj. Algene E. Key of Meridian, Miss., who with his brother Fred set an endurance flight record of 653 hours and 34 minutes in 1935, has been awarded the distinguished service cross for flying his severely damaged heavy bomber in formation during a raid on German-held France, the war department announced today.
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