Edward Peck Curtis

Major General Edward Peck Curtis began his career as a lieutenant in World War I. His six aerial victories made him a flying ace.

Born in Rochester, New York, Edward Peck Curtis was a graduate of St. Georges School, Newport, Rhode Island. He attended Williams College, where he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Society, before dropping out to join the American Field Service with the French Army in 1917. He then served as a Major in the 95th Aero Squadron after the United States entered the war.

Edward Curtis served with the U. S. State Department in Russia after World War I. He then became an employee of Eastman Kodak Company, where he rose to become director, general manager of the international division and vice president. He retired from Kodak in 1962 after 42 years of service and remained as a Kodak board member until 1969.

In World War II he served as a Major General and Chief of Staff, U. S. Strategic Air Force in Europe. In 1943 he received the French Legion of Honor and the United States Legion of Merit for his part in the war in Africa. In 1956-1957, he served as Special Assistant to the U. S. President for Aviation Facilities Planning and was instrumental in planning for the Federal Aviation Administration and the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.