In October 1936, Amelia Earhart made a second visit to Ottumwa, speaking to the Ottumwa Womens' Club at an open meeting held October 16 at the Ottumwa High School auditorium. The topic of her speech was "Aviation Adventures," and she described making the first-ever solo flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California, in January 1935. The 2,500 mile flight took 17 hours. She closed her talk by saying that based on average flying, one would be 128 years old before meeting with an accident in the air, and then that accident would likely not be fatal. Though she was preparing for her round-the-world expedition the following year -- the expedition which ended in her mysterious disappearance -- Earhart arrived by car, driving herself. She came to Ottumwa from Quincy, Illinois, and went on to Columbia, Missouri, where she spoke the following day.
For more information on the Michael Lemberger Collection visit https://aspace.lib.uiowa.edu/repositories/2/resources/3157
Comments:
In October 1936, Amelia Earhart made a second visit to Ottumwa, speaking to the Ottumwa Womens' Club at an open meeting held October 16 at the Ottumwa High School auditorium. The topic of her speech was "Aviation Adventures," and she described making the first-ever solo flight from Honolulu, Hawaii to Oakland, California, in January 1935. The 2,500 mile flight took 17 hours. She closed her talk by saying that based on average flying, one would be 128 years old before meeting with an accident in the air, and then that accident would likely not be fatal. Though she was preparing for her round-the-world expedition the following year -- the expedition which ended in her mysterious disappearance -- Earhart arrived by car, driving herself. She came to Ottumwa from Quincy, Illinois, and went on to Columbia, Missouri, where she spoke the following day. For more information on the Michael Lemberger Collection visit https://aspace.lib.uiowa.edu/repositories/2/resources/3157