Draft:John Richard Harding IV

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Early Life[edit]

John Richard Harding, IV was born in Nashville, Tennessee June 2, 1896. His parents were John Richard Harding, III[1] and Roberta Chase Harding[2]. John Harding, IV was known as John Harding, Jr. He also went by Jack Harding.[3]

John went to the Webb Preparatory School, in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt School of Engineering in Nashville.[4] His education was disrupted from college when he volunteered for the Army Air Service in World War I.[5]

Military Service[edit]

In the Round-The-World Flight of 1924, Harding was assistant engineer officer and co-pilot of plane #4, The New Orleans[6]

Lieutenant Harding was a mechanician for the New Orleans, a Second Lieutenant in the Air Service Reserve, and a Master Sargent in the Regular Army Air Service.[7]

He and the other aviators were all awarded the Distinguished Service Medal[8], the French Legion of Honor[9] and the Japanese Order of the Sacred Treasure[10]

Business Career[edit]

The Sigma Chi fraternity at Vanderbilt University initiated John in 1925 after his distinguished military service. He had pledged the Alpha Psi chapter before enlisting for World War I.[11]

After his service, Harding traveled two years on the international lecture circuit, speaking on the topic of The First World Flight[12], with Lowell Thomas, author of the book.[13]

In 1926 he was one of three principal officers of Florida Airways, director and manager of maintenance.[14]

In 1928 he was appointed to the national Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce.[15]

In 1929 John married Blondena H. Carstens of Davenport, Iowa.[16]

In 1930 he was a liaison engineer at Boeing Aircraft Company where he perfected many devices.[17] In 1934 he was in their sales division, with his former pilot Eric Nelson.[18]

In 1936 he left Boeing for Menasco Manufacturing Company, a Los Angeles engine builder.[19] In 1941 he was at Pump Engineering Service Company in Cleveland, Ohio.[20]

By 1943, John Harding had founded Harding Devices Company in Dallas, Texas. They manufactured aircraft accessories.[21]

The First World Fliers had several reunions, including one in Dayton, Ohio in 1957[22], and one in Beverly Hills in 1964.[23]

Death[edit]

In 1968, John Richard Harding, IV died in La Jolla, California after a six month illness.[24]

Further Reading[edit]

The First World Flight, by Lowell Thomas 1925[25]

A Look Back: First Around the World Flight by the USAF Museum 2020. [26]

The World Flight and Military Aviation in the 1920's Summer 2022 pp. 27-68.[27]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Harding, John (22 December 1931). "John Harding, 53, Father of Flyer, Found Dead". The Tennessean. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. ^ Harding, Roberta (23 September 1924). "Fliers Mother Proud of Her Boy". Los Angeles Evening Express. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  3. ^ Harding, Jack (14 May 1937). "Many Notable Business Heads Converge". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  4. ^ Harding, John (2 August 1924). "Plans of Fliers To Resume Trip Halted by Fog". The Chattanooga News. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  5. ^ Harding, John (7 September 1924). "Nashville's World Flier". The Tennessean. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  6. ^ Harding, j (13 June 1932). "John Harding Sketch in Aviation Blue Book". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  7. ^ Harding, John (31 August 1924). "Lieut John Harding, Jr". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  8. ^ Harding, John (27 April 1925). "Service Medals Awarded Fliers". Redland Dailey Facts. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  9. ^ Harding, John (13 October 1925). "Ambassador Will Present Legion of Honor Cross Here". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  10. ^ Harding, John (6 November 1926). "Japs To Honor Yank Aviator". The Omaha Evening Bee. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  11. ^ Harding, j (8 January 1925). "Sigma Chi Initiates John Harding, Jr". The Tennessean. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  12. ^ Harding, John (1925). The First World Flight (1st ed.). Boston: Boston Houghton Mifflin. pp. 1–328. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  13. ^ Thomas, Lowell (8 June 1925). "World Flier Here For Short Visit". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  14. ^ Harding, John (8 February 1926). "Ford-Stout Metal Planes Resume Flight To Florida". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  15. ^ Harding, John (3 January 1928). "Aeronautical Chamber Gets John Harding, Jr". The Herald-Sun. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  16. ^ Carstens, Blondena (26 March 1929). "Society". Evening Star. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  17. ^ Harding, John (26 August 1930). "Army, Navy Flying Row to be Heard". Oakland Tribune. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  18. ^ Harding, John (24 June 1934). "Executive Posts Held by Early Globe Circlers". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  19. ^ Harding, John (2 March 1936). "Northwest News". The Bellingham Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  20. ^ Nelson, Eric (4 February 1941). "Here is Who's Attending Air Conference". The Brownsville Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  21. ^ Harding, John (28 September 1943). "First Round-The-World Flight Started 19 Years Ago Today". The Nashville Banner. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  22. ^ Harding, John (24 April 1957). "Famed Plane in Field Museum". The Journal Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  23. ^ Harding, John (1 September 1964). "First Round The World Fliers to be Honored". Los Angeles Evening Citizen News. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  24. ^ Harding, John (28 May 1968). "McCook Pilot Dies; Set World Record". The Journal Herald. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  25. ^ Thomas, Lowell (1925). The First World Flight (1st ed.). Boston: Boston Houghton Mifflin. pp. 1–328. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  26. ^ "First Around the World" (PDF). AFMC History & Heritage Program. U.S. Air Force. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  27. ^ Head, William. "The World Flight and Military Aviation in the 1920's" (PDF). afhistory.org. AIR & SPACE POWER History. Retrieved 29 December 2023.