aviation – Texas History Notebook

Ricky Nelson

Eric Hillard “Ricky” Nelson was born on May 8, 1940 in Teaneck, New Jersey to Oswald George “Ozzie” Nelson and Peggy Louise “Harriet” Snyder Nelson. Ricky was their youngest child, about four years younger than his brother David Oswald Nelson. Ricky and six other individuals died in an aircraft accident near DeKalb, Texas on December 31, 1985. The aircraft was on its way to Dallas for a performance which had been scheduled for that evening.

David Lee “Tex” Hill

David Lee Hill was the youngest son of Pierre Bernard “P. B.” Hill (1877 – 1958) and Ellen Lee Thraves Hill (1875 – 1958). David Lee was born in Korea on July 13, 1915 while his parents were serving as Presbyterian missionaries there. His three older siblings were born in Virginia between 1906 and 1912.

Jimmie Hudson Kolp

Jimmie Allene Hudson was born April 13, 1904 in Copperas Cove, Coryell County, Texas to Robert L. Hudson (1871 – 1912) and Ollie Maye Thompson Hudson (1873 – 1961). Jimmie was the middle child of three siblings. In the 1900 census, Robert’s profession was listed as “dreyman” which was a term to describe a person who drove a flat bed wagon. In 1910, Robert’s profession was listed as being a carrier for the United States mail. No cause of death is noted, but Robert passed away two years later at the age of forty when Jimmie was just eight years old. In 1914, Ollie Maye married a doctor named William Arthur Gault (1867 – 1950). Dr. Gault had been born in Travis County and was a member of the large family that included lawman Maney Gault, who was a cousin. Dr. Gault and Ollie later settled in Electra, Texas were he continued his medical practice.

Azellia and Hulon White

Hulon Lincoln “Pappy” White was a native Texan. He was born on December 10, 1912 to Henry White and Lela F. Askey White in Gonzales, Texas. He earned his pilot’s license in 1941 and between 1941 and 1945, he was a civilian employee of the Army Air Corps in Tuskegee, Alabama. At the Tuskegee Army Air Base, he was a mechanic and instructor for cadets, many of whom went on to serve in the 332nd Fighter Group, the “Tuskegee Airmen.”

Howard Hughes and TWA

Howard Hughes (1905-1976) was born in Houston, Texas and died on a flight returning to Houston from Mexico. Hughes had always had a strong interest in aviation and over the years owned either outright or a controlling interest in various aviation-related entities, including commercial airlines TWA and Northwest Airlines (briefly) and aircraft manufacturing.