Marjorie Gilbert Stewart, Class of 1937

There are only 22 women included on the Roll of Honor from Morton and RHS that served in WWII. Marjorie Gilbert Stewart, Class of 1937, is believed to be the only RHS or Morton WWII female pilot.

After graduation, she worked as secretary for E C Kline in the high school. She became interested in flying and joined a ground school in the Civilian Pilot Training Program.  The top three students from the program were selected for flight training. All of the top three graduated from Richmond; Ray Gilliand, Class of 1936, was first and Marjorie was second. (The name of the 3rd is not known).

She received her Private Pilot’s license through the training and joined the Civil Air Patrol as a means of continuing her interest in flying.

After the US entered the war, Jacqueline Cockran developed the Women’s Air Service Pilots (WASP) which Marjorie Gilbert joined.  She was sent to Avenger Field, Sweetwater, TX where she was trained as a pilot for PT-19’s, BT-13’s and AT-6”s.

She was then sent to multi-engine training where she attained first seat rating in both Martin B-26’s and the Consolidated B-24’s. She was assigned to the airbase at Pocatello ID where she flew the B-26 towing targets for training aircrews at the B-24 Gunnery School. Her final assignment was at a base in Dyersburg, TN. Her service is now considered active duty similar to other male pilots, after Congress passed legislation recently.

She returned to Richmond and continued to fly her own plane while working at NATCO.  She died June 23, 1995 at the age of 76.

(Information provided by her brother, Kiffin Gilbert, Class of 1947)