Harding Lawrence

His father, Moncey Luther Lawrence (November 15, 1888 – March 12, 1954) was a school teacher and a Christian church minister in Perkins, Oklahoma and Gladewater.

His mother, Helen Beatrice Langley Lawrence (December 6, 1897 – November 23, 1968) managed the Gladwater Hotel.

Lawrence was very close to both of his parents and looked after them throughout their lives.

Even with Lawrence's great success it was beyond his ability to get his mother to retire and move into a new luxurious home he had built for her in Dallas.

Harding Luther Lawrence (July 15, 1920 – January 16, 2002) was executive vice president of Continental Airlines and then president and chairman of Braniff International Airways, a Dallas, Texas-based carrier.

Lawrence's bold and dramatic accomplishments at both airlines earned him the reputation as not only a maverick of the transportation industry but as one of the last legendary titans of aviation.

While at Braniff, Lawrence turned the conservative airline into a progressive and flamboyant carrier known for high fashion flight attendant uniforms, exemplary inflight service, and brightly painted planes.

the CEO of Continental for 45 years from 1936 until 1981.

Under his tutelage.

Lawrence honed his airline administration skills.

Six was quoted as saying "one of the biggest reasons we merged with Pioneer was to get Harding."

Lawrence was hired in 1940 by Dallas Aviation School, where he became Director of Flying.

The school was founded by Major William F. Long, who would employ Lawrence in two additional aviation positions after his wartime service.

Major William F. Long, founder of Dallas Aviation School, also founded the Terrell RAF Cadet School in 1940.

The US had just entered World War II and the civilian school procured a government contract to train British pilots.

Lawrence's duties included that of Link Trainer instructor.

His abilities were quickly noticed, and he was subsequently promoted to supervise the school's maintenance department.

Mr. Lawrence was promoted to director of the school.

Lawrence also attended the University of Texas at Austin, where he obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1942.

He served in the US Army Air Forces for two years during World War II, training with the RAAF in Dallas, Texas, and Toronto, Canada, and with LAAF at Sheppard Field and Bryan, Texas.

He served in Toronto and at the LAAF Base Unit in Lemoore, California.

Lawrence married Jimmie George Bland of Greenville, Texas, in 1942.

They had three sons and one daughter during their marriage.

The No. 1 British Flying Training School in Terrell, Texas, hired Lawrence in 1942.

He remained with the school until 1944, and then spent two years on active duty with the US Air Force.

The No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum, Inc., is dedicated to the preservation of the school's history.

After his release from the military, a flight school administrator from Terrell, Texas offered him a job in 1946 with Essair Airways, a small commuter carrier based in Houston, Texas, which was also founded by Major Long.

While in Houston, Lawrence attended South Texas College of Law and received his LLB in 1949.

He attended school at night while working at Pioneer during the day.

The merger with Continental put Lawrence directly under the mentoring of Continental founder and President Robert Six.

Essair would eventually become Pioneer Airlines and then merge with Continental Airlines on April 1, 1955.

Lawrence' revolutionary approach included approving the "End of the Plain Plane" campaign in 1965, which called for imaginative aircraft paint schemes, interiors, and never before seen passenger service comforts.

Previous airlines were commonly patterned after less than appealing military operations.

He was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Gladewater, Texas.

The couple divorced in 1966.

She operated the hotel until her death in 1968.

Lawrence attended Gladewater High School, graduating two years early, but with a less-than-stellar academic record.

He then attended Kilgore Junior College, where his grades earned him membership in an academic honors group.

On July 23, 2017, a Braniff Trail Historical Plaque was dedicated at the No. 1 British Flying Training School Museum to honor Harding Lawrence's earliest aviation job.

The plaque is one of over 30 that will be placed around the world at locations that were important to the history of Braniff Airways.