Eula Pearl Carter Scott

Eula Pearl Carter Scott
Eula Pearl Carter Scott
Born	December 9, 1915; Marlow, Oklahoma
Died	March 28, 2005 (aged 89); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Nationality	Chickasaw, American
Occupation	Aviator, Legislator, political activist
Known for	Youngest aviator in Oklahoma in 1928

Eula "Pearl" Carter Scott (1915–2005) became the youngest pilot in the United States on September 12, 1929, when she took her first solo flight at the age of 13.[1] She was taught to fly by the notable pioneer aviator Wiley Post.[2] She was a stunt pilot.[2] In 1972 she became one of the Chickasaw Nation's first community health representatives; her mother was an original enrollee of the Chickasaw Nation.[2] Scott was elected to the Chickasaw legislature in 1983 and served three terms there.[1]

Early life

Pearl was born to George and Lucy Carter on December 9, 1915 in Marlow, Stephens County, Oklahoma. She was the youngest of three girls, and also had a younger brother named George Carter, Jr.[lower-alpha 1] Her father was a wealthy businessman, while Lucy was an original enrollee of the Chickasaw Nation. Pearl evidently eschewed many of the traditional activities of young Chickasaw women. Instead, she acquired her own automobile when she was only eleven years old, and had learned to drive herself by the age of twelve. Pearl said late in her life that her father was blind, and that she had served as his eyes, so she accompanied him everywhere, whether in his office or collecting rents out on the farms. She also said that she spent her whole childhood talking with adults.[4]

Pearl in the air

Noted pioneer aviator Wiley Post was a friend of the Carter family and visited their home from time to time. One of his visits occurred in 1928, when Pearl was twelve years old. He gave Pearl and her father their first ride in an airplane. She was totally enthralled by the experience, later saying:

"I knew right then, while I was in the air with Wiley that first day, that I would fly someday. I asked him a hundred questions while we were up in the air, and as soon as he set(sic) the plane down, I ran over and told Daddy that I wanted to learn to fly."[3]

Post agreed to teach Pearl how to fly. After several months of lessons, her father surprised her with her own Curtis Robbins airplane. On September 12, 1929, she took off on her first solo flight, becoming the youngest person in Oklahoma at that time to accomplish this feat. Not long afterward, she began to perform as a stunt pilot.[3]

In 1931, Post flew into the local airstrip with another man, whom Pearl did not recognize. Moments later Post introduced her to the already world famous Will Rogers.[3]

Devotion to children

Pearl married at age 16, and quickly started a family of her own. She continued to fly after her first baby, but after she bore a second, she realized that the babies would have to grow up without a mother if there were an accident. She abruptly quit flying. She apparently relented once, when Wiley Post allowed her to take to the air flying his famous "Winnie Mae," in which he had set two world records.[3]

Service to Chickasaw Nation

In 1972, Pearl began her "second career" as an active worker for the Chickasaw Nation. After studying at the Desert Willow Indian Training Center in Tucson, Arizona, she became one of the tribe's first community health representatives. In 1983, she was elected to the Chickasaw Legislature, where she served three terms.[4]

Recognition of her accomplishments

She was inducted into the Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame, a member of the International Women's Air & Space Museum, and the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame, and is a charter member of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian.[5] In 2014 a portrait of her was unveiled in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.[6]

There is a documentary about her titled Pearl Carter Scott: On Top of the World, and a non-documentary film about her titled Pearl.[7]

Notes

George Carter, Jr. was still living in Marlow when Pearl died in 2015.[3]

References

"Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame - Eula Pearl Carter Scott". Hof.chickasaw.net. Archived from the original on 2016-08-08. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
oklahoma state senate staff. "Oklahoma State Senate - News". Oksenate.gov. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
Deering, Roy. "Love for flying helped woman make history. NewsOK. March 31, 2005. Accessed March 8, 2018.
"Pearl Carter Scott." Chickasaw Nation Hall of Fame. Accessed 2018-03-08.
News 12 Staff. "Portrait of famous aviator and Chickasaw legislator unveiled at Capitol". Kxii.com. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
"Portrait of Celebrated Aviator Pearl Carter Scott Unveiled in Oklahoma - ICTMN.com". Indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com. 2015-11-04. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
"Pearl Carter Scott documentary airs on OETA tonight". News OK. 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2015-11-09.