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"The Voice of S.F. Airport", Maxine Crookston, was born in Salt Lake City in 1915. After completing a B.A at the University of Utah and an M.A. at Stanford, she became a high school English and Latin teacher, but her life's ambition was to become a commercial pilot. She took flying lessons while teaching full time and acquired her private pilot license before the start of WWII. During the war, she became a 1st Lieutenant in the Civil Air Patrol and helped to survey air markers in Utah. Through her experience as a pilot, Crookston became interested in air traffic control and in 1942, she was hired by the CAA (Civil Aeronautics Authority, precursor to the Federal Aviation Administration) as an air traffic controller. After four years as an air traffic controller at Salt Lake City, she transferred to San Francisco Airport’s control tower in 1946. While at SFO, it was reported that she became the first female Watch Supervisor in the country. Due to her groundbreaking role, Crookston was a popular subject for interviews by Bay Area newspapers and TV stations, and she was also a licensed commercial pilot with an instructor rating. Maxine Crookston Schmidt passed away in 2016 at the age of 100. Image: San Francisco Airport, Maxine Crookston (Schmidt), air traffic controller, late 1940s. In memory of Maxine Crookston Schmidt. 2016.067.016
This image was posted on March 08, 2019.