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Learn more about...

The People and Places in Amelia's life, as mentioned in the play.

Cast of Characters in Order of Appearance...
 

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The Lockheed
10- E  Elektra

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The Itasca

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The Itasca

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Muriel Earhart Morrisey

Grace Muriel Earhart, aka Pidge, was born in 1899; she attended the Saint Margaret's High School in Toronto, then graduated from Smith College.  She worked as an English teacher in the Boston area, and in 1929, married Henry Albert Morrissey (Amelia was maid-of-honor); they had two children. After Amelia died, their mother lived with Muriel. Muriel lived to be 98 yrs old.

 

Muriel was also an author and historian as she took up it upon herself to preserve Amelia's legacy. Muriel wrote two books about Amelia, Courage is the Price and Amelia, My Courageous Sister; and one book about her husband's career as a solider in WW1, The Quest of A Prince of Mystic: Henry Albert Morrissey "The Chief". She also wrote poetry. 

While going to Smith College, Amelia stayed with her sister while recovering from multiple sinus operations. Amelia took classes at Smith - - engine repair.

Muriel was vocal about debunking any conspiracy theories about her sister's death.

 

George Putnam

George was born in  1887 in Rye New York.  He graduated from Harvard University and UC Berkeley. He married Dorothy Blinney in 1911, they had 2 children.  He was always in the newspaper and publishing business, but he didn't make a splash until he published the book We, an autobiographical account of Charles Lindbergh's life and non-stop transatlantic solo flight from New York to Paris in May of that same year. It made a killing, selling more than 650,000 copies, earning its author over $250,000 (equivalent to $4,400,000 in 2023).  

Another chance opportunity would break the bank: bringing Amelia Earhart into The Friendship Tour.  That event would also herald the end of his marriage, but Dorothy was already having an affair with a much younger man, so don't believe the press when they say that Amelia broke them up. George and Amelia married in 1931. 

By 1937, the Great Depression was encroaching on the Earhart's luxurious lifestyle, and money was tight. Their livelihood was riding on Amelia's world tour being a success.  When Amelia was lost at sea, George spent every last dime he had on her rescue mission. After he had her declared dead in 1939, he remarried.  He moved to the California desert where he ran a motel. He lived there until his death 1949; he died penniless.

Fred Noonan

Fred was born on the south side of Chicago in 1893; by the time he was 14, he ran away to Seattle to join the Merchant Marines and made a career at sea. He started off as a crew member, survived  WWI, and grew to become Master of ocean aboard going steamships. He first married in 1927, divorced in 1937, then remarried that same year. No children from either marriage. In his forties, Fred decided to change careers, and turned to aviation. ​​He first got his pilot license in the 1920's, and by the 30's, worked for Pan American World Airways as a navigation instructor and airport manager. From Wikipedia: "Adapting his maritime navigational expertise to aviation, Fred was instrumental in developing techniques for the company's nascent Pacific Division. Noonan served as navigating officer on the survey flights that pioneered commercial air service across the Pacific. Noonan was subsequently responsible for mapping Pan Am's clipper routes across the Pacific Ocean, participating in many flights to Midway IslandWake IslandGuam, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. He made at least twenty-one flights for Pan American in 1936, including numerous, often lengthy, test hops and five round-trip Pacific crossings to Manila."​  By the time Fred was hired to work as navigator aboard the 1937 Earhart World Tour, he was considered to be the world's greatest aerial navigator. 

 

He died at age 44.

Edwin Earhart

Edwin was born in 1867, one of 14 siblings. His father was a preacher.  Edwin graduated from the University of Kansas, then started a private practice as an attorney and started to build a name for himself, but wasn't able to maintain it, and soon sank under the weight of alcoholism.  During Amelia's childhood, he taught his girls how to fish, and encouraged them to be outside playing, getting dirty, and having all sorts of fun. Amelia said of her father that he was a compassionate man, and their most adored companion until they lost him to the bottle.

After Edwin and Amy divorced, Edwin remarried in 1926 to Anna McPherson.  Amelia and her father eventually reconciled, but he continued to ask her for financial support. Amelia helped her father buy a new home, which she put in a trust so that they'd always have a roof over their heads.  When Edwin died in 1930, his wife would be able to continue living in the house, and upon her death, the house would then go to Muriel. 

Amy Earhart

Born Amy Otis in 1869, she was one of six surving siblings.  Amy is short for Amelia; Amelia's grandmother was also "Amelia".  Amy was a forward thinking woman; strong willed, adventurous; she liked to scale mountains. She came from a prominent and wealthy family, and was highly educated. Amy married Edwin Earhart in 1895; in 1915 they separated and Amy moved with the girls to Chicago.  Amy and Edwin reconciled for a short period, but eventualy divorced in 1924. Amy lived with both her daughters at different times, but in 1937, she had been living with Amelia and George in their North Hollywood home.  After Amelia's disappearance, she refused to leave the area just in case her daughter returned. Nine years later, she moved back to Massachusetts to live with Muriel.  She died in 1962. 

The Powder Puff Derby

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The 99s

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Spadina Military Hospital

Spadina Military Hospital is where Amelia worked as a nurse's aid. There was a mutiny amongst the invalids over poor nutrition, and Amelia lobbied for them to have fresh fruit and fun flavored puddings. Before Amelia, the wounded soldiers used to shape their pudding into headstones and write RIP in the cream.

Sam Chapman

Amelia's first love...he remained a bachelor.

Toronto Canada

While in Toronto, Amelia and Muriel were surrounded by pilots, as the city was "the undeclared capital of flying in the British Empire." It has been said that Amelia fell in love with flying. "The interest aroused in me in Toronto led me to all the air circuses in the vicinity," Amelia once told reporters. (Source, Wikepedia)

The Denison House

America's oldest settlement house. If it wasn't for Amelia's generous donations, the Deninson House would have closed their doors during the Depression.  Amelia worked there in 1926-1928.  She was in charge of adult education, and supervised the girls' program. She organized women's clubs, such as the Syrian Mothers Club, and coached girls' basketball and fencing.

Founded in 1892, the women run center offered basic necessities and classes in nursing, English literature and language classes, crafts, cooking, and carpentry, as well as sports and a summer camp for children, and clubs for adults. It had a library, a gymnasium, and a clinic. It served Italian, Greek, Armenian, and Syrian immigrant families.  Originally located in Tyler Street in Boston, they provided housing for families and was an important cultural center in the neighborhood.

The original site on Tyler Street, now occupied by apartment buildings, is a stop on the Chinatown/South Cove walk of the Boston Women's Heritage Trail.

 

Source: Wikipedia

Frank Hawkes

The Famed pilot who took Amelia for a ride of her life at an air show in Kinnear Field, after which she started taking lessons.

Frank was Amelia's age; by his early twenties, he was already a record breaking aviator, setting 214 flight records. By 1937, he was billed as the fastest airman in the world.  A popular saying from the time was, "Don't send it by mail ... send it by Hawks."  He died in 1938, flying an experimental aircraft."

Source: Wikipedia

Lady Mary Heath

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