USNA CLASS OF 1903: LT. JOHN RODGERS

On Sept. 7, 1911, Lt. John Rodgers (class of 1903) made the first flight from USNA. Rogers assembled and flew a Wright Model B-1 aircraft, which was delivered personally by Orville Wright in a crate!

As airplane models evolved, so to grew the passion to test their limits. Lt. John Rodgers was among the brave forefathers of modern aviation. His passion to see an airplane cross the distance from California to Hawaii set new records and collected essential data. Ultimately his life would be taken in an accidental airplane crash in 1926.

John’s classmates erected a plaque in his honor in Memorial Hall. It reads in part, “He dedicated his life to the advancement of aviation and met his death in an airplane accident. His courage, fortitude, and leadership during the first flight attempted across the Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands made him a hero in the eyes of the world and reflected glory upon the Naval Service. This tablet is erected by his classmates of 1908 as a token of their love and esteem.”

Source: https://usnamemorialhall.org/index.php/JOHN_RODGERS,_CDR,_USN