Elwood Richard Quesada
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| Elwood Richard Quesada | |
|---|---|
| April 13, 1904 – February 9, 1993 (aged 88) | |
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| Nickname | "Pete" |
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch | United States Army Air Corps United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1924-1951 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | Joint Chiefs of Staff |
| Commands held | 9th Fighter Command |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Medal (2) Distinguished Flying Cross Purple Heart Order of the Bath (Degree of Companion) Commander of British Empire French Legion of Honor French Croix de Guerre |
| Other work | Lockheed Administrator of the FAA MLB owner |
Elwood Richard "Pete" Quesada (April 13, 1904 – February 9, 1993) was a U.S. Air Force general, FAA administrator, and, later, a club owner in Major League Baseball.
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[edit] Early years
Elwood Richard Quesada was born in Washington, D.C. in 1904 to an Irish-American mother and a Spanish father. He attended the University of Maryland and Georgetown University.
[edit] Early military career
In September 1924, Quesada enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps as a flying cadet and was commissioned as a reserve officer a year later. He had a wide variety of assignments as aide to senior officers, military attache and technical adviser to other air forces, and in intelligence. He was also part of the team (with Ira Eaker and Carl Spaatz) that developed and demonstrated air-to-air refueling in 1929 on the Question Mark. All five crew members were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their participation in the mission.
[edit] Rank and promotions
Lieutenant General Quesada was promoted and held commands as follows:
- First Lieutenant 1932
- Captain 1935
- Major 1941 -- 33rd Pursuit Group
- Lieutenant Colonel 1942 -- Philadelphia Region, 1st Fighter Command
- Brigadier General 1942 -- 1st Air Defense Wing; 12th Fighter Command; 9th Fighter Command; 9th Tactical Air Command
- Major General 1944 -- 3rd Air Force
- Lieutenant General 1947 -- Tactical Air Command
[edit] Further achievements
During his time as a junior officer he became interested in the concept of close air support of ground forces, which was thoroughly developed by the 9th during his time as commander in North Africa and Europe.
He held staff assignments with the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1949 until his retirement in 1951.
[edit] Civilian milestones
He was an executive for Lockheed Aircraft Corporation from 1953 to 1955. In 1957, he became President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Special Advisor for Aviation, leading to his appointment as first administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from 1959 to 1961.
Quesada got into sports when he became owner of the expansion Washington Senators in 1961. Quesada sold his stake in the team in 1963.
[edit] Awards and decorations
General Quesada's medals and awards include Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster; Distinguished Flying Cross; Purple Heart; Air Medal with two silver stars; American Defense Service Medal; European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal and seven bronze battle stars; World War II Victory Medal; Order of the Bath (Degree of Companion); Commander of British Empire; French Legion of Honor; French Croix de Guerre with Palm; Luxembourg Croix de Guerre; Order of Adolphe of Nassau; Polish Pilot Badge; Conmandeur de l'Ordre de la Couronne with Palm; Croix d'Officier de l'Order de la Couronne with Palm.
[edit] Death
General Quesada died in 1993 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.[1]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bethanne Kelly Patrick. Gen. Elwood 'Pete' Quesada — Aviation Pioneer Epitomized 20th Century's Fascination with Flight. Military.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-12.
[edit] References
| Preceded by — |
Federal Aviation Administrator 1958–1961 |
Succeeded by Najeeb Halaby |
