is a set of three international
trophies, to be awarded annually to the world's outstanding
aviator, aviatrix (female aviator), and aeronaut (
). A
fourth trophy, the "National Trophy," was awarded from 1926 through
to the most outstanding
aviator in each of the twenty-one member countries and again from
1946-1948 to honor Americans who contributed to aviation. The award
was established in
The awards are described by the Clifford B. Harmon Trust as:
), an
organization founded by Harmon to serve as "an agent for Peace and
National security." The League became defunct during the War and
Harmon's death on June 25, 1945 in Cannes, France
During the period the awards were in litigation (1945-1948), the
American Section of the League awarded the International Aviator
Trophy to three U.S. leaders in aviation. However, since the awards
were not approved by other League Sections, the awards are
technically invalid. Also, these three awards were given without
consideration to the "art of flying" and the awards did not
recognize a superlative aviation achievement, rather recognized
American aviation industry leaders. President Truman's staff
questioned the award to Alexander de Seversky, Secretary of the Air
Force
stating, "he
[de Seversky] did absolutely nothing to deserve it." Truman also
did not make time to present the 1948 award to
has been responsible for awarding the trophies.
With the exception of the Aeronaut trophy, all are inactive.
. Bound by the court to offer only
three trophies, the trustees first agreed that "feats of piloting
in both earth orbiting or outer space vehicles will be considered
for the Harmon Awards provided the vehicles are controlled by their
pilots rather from the ground." The advisory committee directed the
trustees to alternate awarding the aeronaut trophy between
balloonists and astronauts, but the trustees decided to offer the
aviator award to aviation and astronaut recipients. A fifth trophy
was created in
. This work was not
coordinated with the NAA or Smithsonian.
. The aviator trophy depicts
about to take wing. The statuette was created by sculptor
Roumanbona M'Divani.
Harmon
Trust. The aviatrix trophy (at right) depicts a winged goddess
cradling a falcon with outstretched wings. The aeronaut trophy was
lost in Germany between May 1940 and October 1953 and was believed
to have been sold as scrap. The three-foot-tall, 150-pound statue
of five aviators holding the globe on their shoulders was found in
a junk store and subsequently given to the Smithsonian after the
presentation of the 1952 awards.
The following is an incomplete list compiled from several sources.
The Aeronaut, National and Astronaut categories have not been
listed in a central location.
| Year |
Aviator |
Aviatrix |
Aeronaut |
National (until 1949) see below for Astronaut since
1967 |
| 1926 |
Lt. Col. George
Pelletier-Doisy, France |
No Award Presented |
General Umberto Nobile,
Italy |
Shirley J. Short, USA; Cdr. Hirosi Abe, Japan; Maj. Mario de Bernardi, Italy |
| 1927 |
Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, USA |
Lady Mary Bailey, UK |
Commander Charles E.
Rosendahl, USA |
|
| 1928 |
Col. Arturo Ferrarin, Italy |
Lady Mary Bailey, UK |
Dr. Hugo Eckener, Germany |
Carl Eielson |
| 1929 |
Maj. Dieudonne Costes,
France |
Miss Winifred Spooner, UK |
Dr. Hugo Eckener, Germany |
Maj. James H. Doolittle, USA |
| 1930 |
Maj. Dieudonne Costes, France |
Miss Amy Johnson Mollison, UK |
Dr. Hugo Eckener, Germany (dirigible); Ward T. Van
Orman, USA (spherical balloon) |
Lt. Cdr. Frank Hawks; Lt. Carlos de
Haya González de Ubieta[84933], Spain. |
| 1931 |
Air Marshal Italo Balbo, Italy |
Mrs. Maryse Bastié,
France |
Dr. Hugo Eckener, Germany (dirigible); Prof. Auguste Piccard, Switzerland (spherical
balloon) |
Clyde Pangborn, USA; Hugh Herndon, USA; Ruth
Nichols, USA; Air Commodore; Charles Kingsford-Smith Australia;
Bert Hinkler, UK; Amy Johnson, UK; Peggy
Salaman, UK; Captain von Gronau, Germany; Marga von Etzdorf, Germany |
| 1932 |
Wolfgang von
Gronau; Germany |
Mrs. Amelia Earhart Putnam,
USA |
Prof. Auguste Piccard, Switzerland (spherical balloon); Capt.
Ernst A. Lehmann, (dirigible) |
Roscoe Turner, USA; Warren D. Williams, USA (dirigible); Lt. Cdr.
Charles E. C. Rosendahl, USA (dirigible); Lt. Thomas G. W. Settle, USA (spherical balloon); Lt.
Carlos de Haya González de Ubieta[84934], Spain |
| 1933 |
Wiley Post, USA |
Maryse Hiltz, France |
Lt. Cdr. Thomas G. W. Settle, USA (Spherical Balloon); Dr.
Hugo Eckener, Germany (dirigible) |
Mrs. Anne Morrow
Lindbergh, USA; Lt. Cdr. Charles E. C. Rosendahl, USA
(dirigible); Lt. Cdr. Thomas W. G. Settle, USA (spherical balloon);
Francesco Agello, Italy; Mariano Barberan,Latvia;1933 Herberts Cukurs, Spain (posthumously);
Joaquin Collar, Spain
(posthumously) |
| 1934 |
Charles W. A. Scott;
UK |
Hélène Boucher, France (posthumously) |
Capt. Ernst A. Lehmann, Germany (dirigible); Mme. Jeannette Piccard, Switzerland (United
States) (spherical balloon) |
Miss Laura Ingalls, USA;
Dean C. Smith, USA; Lt. Cdr. H. V. Wiley, USA (dirigible); Maj. William E. Kepner, USA (spherical balloon); Edgardo Bonnet, Argentina; Maria Leloir de Udaondo, Argentina,
Charles Kingsford-Smith, Australia, Teddy Franchomme, Belgium;
E. Demuyter,
Belgium, Mlle. S. Lippens, Belgium; Michael Hansen, Denmark; U. Makela, Finland;
Jean Mermoz, France; Raymond Delmotte, France; Germain Bonnet, France; Heini Dittmar, Germany; Hans Kurt Fleming, Germany; Elly Beinhorn, Germany; K. D.
Parmentier, Holland; Francesco Agello, Italy; Momosaburo Shinno, Japan; Kikuko Matsumoto, Japan; Capt. Jerzl Bajan, Poland; Franciszek Hynek, Poland; Humberto da Cruz, Portugal; Herman Baron, San Salvador; Luang Prung Prechakas, Siam; Ramon Torres, Spain; Walther Mittelholzer, Switzerland |
| 1935 |
Capt. Edwin Musick, USA |
Jean Batten, UK
(New
Zealand ); Amelia Earhart, USA |
Maj. Orvil A. Anderson, USA; Capt. Albert W. Stevens (spherical balloon); Capt.
Hans von Schiller, Germany
(dirigible) |
Arnold Looz-Corswarem,
Belgium; Michael Hansen, Denmark;
Capt. J. F. Broadbent,
UK; André Japy, France; Bertha Alisch, Germany; Elly Beinhorn, Germany; Mario Stoppani, Italy; Casimiro Babbi, Italy; Marchesa Carina Negrone, Italy;
Hoja Dzenitis, Lithuania; Gomez Namorado, Portugal; Juan Ignacio Pombo, Spain |
| 1936 |
Howard Hughes, USA |
Jean Batten, UK (New Zealand) |
Capt. Ernest A. Lehmann, Germany; Ernest De Muyter, Belgium |
Mrs. Louise Thaden, USA; James Diamond, USA; Carl Gotze, Jr., Germany |
| 1937 |
Henry T. Merrill, USA |
Jean Batten, UK (New Zealand) |
No Award Presented |
Miss Jacqueline Cochran, USA; Howard Hughes, USA |
| 1938 |
Howard Hughes, USA; |
Jacqueline Cochran, USA |
No Award Presented |
Lt. Col. Robert Olds, USA (Diploma
of Honor); Roscoe Turner, USA; Capt. Kellett and crew, UK; Michael Hansen, Denmark; Maurice Rossi, France; Elizabeth Lion, France; Capt. Alfred Henks, Germany; Hanna Reitsch, Germany; Lt. Col. Mario Pezzi, Italy; Maj. Yuzo Fujita, Japan; Capt. Viktors Eglitis, Latvia; Victor Alfredo Lara, San Salvador; Maj.
Tonnard, Belgium (spherical balloon); Capt. Max Pruss, Germany (dirigible); Capt. Antoni Janusz, Poland (spherical balloon) |
| 1939 |
Maj. Alexander P.
de Seversky, USA |
Jacqueline Cochran, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1945 |
|
|
|
Francisco Pignatari,
Brazil |
| 1946 |
|
|
|
Juan T. Trippe, USA |
| 1947 |
|
|
|
Alexander P. de Seversky, USA |
| 1948 |
|
|
|
Ralph S. Damon |
| 1949 |
|
|
|
Louis A. Johnson |
1940
to 1949
|
Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, USA; Geoffrey de Havilland, UK
(posthumously) (Citation of Honorable Mention); Capt. Charles E. Yeager,
USA (Citation of Honorable Mention) |
Jacqueline Cochran, USA; Pauline
Gower, USA (posthumously) (Citation of Honorable Mention) |
Vice Admiral Charles E.
Rosendahl, USA; M. Charles
Dollfus, France (Citation of Honorable Mention); Lt. Howard R. Walton, USA (posthumously) (Citation of
Honorable Mention) |
|
| 1950 |
Col. David C. Schilling, USA |
No Award Presented |
National prize no more awarded |
| 1951 |
Capt. Charles F. Blair Jr, USA |
Jacqueline Auriol, France |
Lt. Carl J. Seiberlich, USA |
|
| 1952 |
Col.
Bernt Balchen, USA (Norwegian -born) |
Jacqueline Auriol, France |
Walter L. Massic, USA |
| 1953 |
Maj. Charles E. Yeager, USA |
Jacqueline Cochran, USA |
No Award Presented |
| 1954 |
J. F.
Coleman, USA |
No Award Presented |
Capt. Marion H. Eppes, USA |
| 1955 |
Group Captain John Cunningham, UK
|| Jacqueline Auriol, France || Lt. Cdr. John A. Mills, USA
|
| 1956 |
Lt. Col. Frank K. Everest Jr., USA |
Jacqueline Auriol, France |
Lt. Cdr. Malcolm D.
Ross, USA; Lt. Cdr.
Morton L. Lewis, USA |
| 1957 |
Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, USA |
No Award Presented |
Cdr. Jack R. Hunt, USA |
| 1958 |
Maj. André Edouard
Turcat, France |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1959 |
Capt. Joe B. Jordan, USA |
No Award Presented |
Capt. Joseph Kittinger,
USA |
| 1960 |
A. Scott Crossfield, USA; Capt.
Joseph A. Walker, USA; Maj. Robert M. White, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1961 |
Lt. Col. William R. Payne, USA |
Jacqueline Cochran, USA |
Cdr. Malcolm D.
Ross, USA; Lt. Cdr.
Victor E. Prather, USA (posthumously) |
| 1962 |
Maj. Fitzhugh L. Fulton Jr., USA |
No Award Presented |
Mrs. Nini Boesman, Netherlands
(subsequently canceled) |
| 1963 |
Maj. L. Gordon Cooper, USA |
Betty Miller, USA |
No Award Presented |
| 1964 |
Max Conrad, USA |
Joan Merriam Smith, USA
(posthumously) |
No Award Presented |
| 1965 |
Cmdr. James Lovell Jr.; Lt. Col.
Frank Borman; Capt. Wally Schirra; Maj. Thomas P. Stafford (all USA) |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1966 |
Cmdr. James Lovell Jr.; Maj. Edwin E. Aldrin; Maj.
Edward H. White II (all USA) |
Sheila Scott, UK |
No Award Presented |
| 1967 |
Maj. William J. Knight, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
Astronaut |
| 1968 |
Maj. Jerrauld R. Gentry, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
Col. Frank Borman; Capt. James A. Lovell; Lt. Col. William A. Anders (all USA) |
| 1969 |
Squadron Leader Thomas Lecky-Thompson, UK; Squadron
Leader Graham Williams,
UK |
Turi
Widerøe; Norway |
No Award Presented |
Neil Armstrong; Edwin E. Aldrin; Michael
Collins |
| 1970 |
Brian Trubshaw, UK; Maj. André Edouard Turcat, France |
Sheila Scott, UK |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1971 |
Lt. Col. Thomas B. Estes, USA; Lt. Col. Dewain C. Vick,
USA |
Geraldyn Cobb, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1972 |
Lt. Col. Edgar L. Allison, USA |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1973 |
Col. Edward Nash, USA |
No Award Presented |
Malcolm S. Forbes, Sr., USA |
Captain Charles Conrad, Jr.; Captain
Paul J. Weitz; Captain Joseph
Kerwin (all USA) |
| 1974 |
|
|
|
| 1975 |
Lt. Col. Herbert M. Fix, USA |
Marion Rice Hart, USA |
|
|
| 1976 |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1977 |
|
| 1978 |
|
| 1979 |
Byran Allen, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1980 |
Lt. (jg) John Currier, USA |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1981 |
Jerry Foster, USA |
Janice Lee Brown,
USA |
|
John W. Young; Capt. Robert
L. Crippen, Col. Joseph H. Engle; Capt. Richard Truly (all USA) |
| 1982 |
Dormon Cannon, USA; |
No Award Presented |
|
| 1983 |
No Award Presented |
Dr. Sally Ride, USA |
|
|
| 1984 |
Senator Barry Goldwater |
Brooke Knapp, USA |
|
|
| 1985 |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1986 |
Chief Warrant Officer Jon
Iseminger, USA |
Jeana Yeager, USA |
|
|
| 1987 |
Allen E. Paulson, USA |
Lois McCallin, USA |
|
|
| 1988 |
Kanellos
Kanellopoulos; Greece |
Anne Baddour, USA |
Per Lindstrand |
|
| 1989 |
Capt. George A. Hof Jr., USA; Dr. Max
E. Shauck, USA |
Gaby Kennard, Australia |
|
|
| 1990 |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1991 |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1992 |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1993 |
|
No Award Presented |
|
Vance D. Brand, USA |
| 1994 |
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
|
|
| 1995 |
No Award Presented |
Eileen M. Collins, USA |
|
|
| 1998 |
|
No Award Presented |
Steve Fossett |
| 1999 |
Don Cameron |
|
Dr.
Bertrand Piccard; Switzerland ; Brian Jones,
UK |
|
| 2000 |
|
No Award Presented |
David Hempleman-Adams |
| 2001 |
|
Jennifer Murray, UK (USA) |
Richard Abruzzo |
| 2002 |
|
No Award Presented |
Steve Fossett |
| 2003 |
|
No Award Presented |
Richard Abruzzo |
| 2004 |
|
No Award Presented |
David Hempleman-Adams |
| 2005 |
|
No Award Presented |
Carol Rymer Davis, Richard
Abruzzo |
| 2006 |
|
No Award Presented |
No Award Presented |
| Year |
Aviator |
Aviatrix |
Aeronaut |
Astronaut |
The Harmon Aviator Trophy
acquired the aviator's trophy in 1950 from the Clifford B. Harmon
Trust. The aviatrix trophy (at right) depicts a winged goddess
cradling a falcon with outstretched wings. The aeronaut trophy was
lost in Germany between May 1940 and October 1953 and was believed
to have been sold as scrap. The three-foot-tall, 150-pound statue
of five aviators holding the globe on their shoulders was found in
a junk store and subsequently given to the Smithsonian after the
presentation of the 1952 awards.
worked to assemble a complete list to be published
in conjunction with the NAA's hundredth anniversary in 2005,
however this project was not completed and it appears that the
source documents for a period of awards were
destroyed.
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