Beavercreek Township near Xenia in Greene County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator
⎯⎯⎯
Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 27, 2024

1. Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator side of marker

Inscription. Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator Lewis Albert Jackson (December 29, 1912-January 8, 1994) was an African American aviator remembered for training Tuskegee Airmen during World War II. As a teenager in Indiana, he began flight lessons and soloed in 1932, flying his own Waco 10. Jackson spent 1932-1937 barnstorming to save money for college while earning his Transport Pilot’s License. He re-rated to a Commercial License with Instructor Rating in 1939, and then completed advanced acrobatic training at Coffey School of Aeronautics. In late 1940, he was appointed Director of Training in the Army Air Force 66th Flight Training Detachment at Tuskegee Institute. After the war he moved to Ohio and served as an FAA Flight Examiner from 1947 to 1960. The Lewis A. Jackson Greene County Regional Airport was posthumously renamed to honor this true aviation pioneer.

Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator Lewis A. Jackson, beyond his aviation achievements, was a dedicated educator and innovator. He earned degrees in Education from Marion College (B.S. 1939), Miami University (M.A. 1948), and The Ohio State University (Ph.D. 1950).

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

Jackson initially taught in Indiana’s public schools and later held teaching and administrative posts at Central State University, Sinclair Community College, and The Ohio State University. While at Sinclair he fostered the business entrepreneur program. In 1956, Jackson built and flew the Versatile 1 in Xenia, his first experimental aircraft aimed at creating a “convertible” airplane-automobile that could be flown, driven, and stored in a residential garage. A founding member of the Greene County Regional Airport Authority, Jackson served on many regional and national educational and aviation boards throughout his lifetime of service.

Erected 2024 by Mac Air Aviation Flight School • Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 382 • Ohio History Connection. (Marker Number 32-29.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Air & Space • Education • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection, and the Tuskegee Airmen series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1932.

Location. 39° 41.46′ N, 83° 59.777′ W.

Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator side of marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 27, 2024

2. Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator side of marker

Marker is near Xenia, Ohio, in Greene County. It is in Beavercreek Township. It is on Dumford Road east of North Valley Road, on the right when traveling east. Marker is at Greene County-Lewis A. Jackson Regional Airport. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 140 N Valley Rd, Xenia OH 45385, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro

and in the Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: William Maxwell (approx. 1.2 miles away); Beaver Cemetery/Church Veterans Memorial (approx. 1.7 miles away); First Courthouse of Greene County (approx. 1.9 miles away); Samuel N. Patterson House (approx. 3.4 miles away); The Schmidt House (approx. 3½ miles away); Galloway Log House / Xenia Tornado

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator / Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 27, 2024

3. Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator / Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator Marker

(approx. 3½ miles away); Galloway Cabin (approx. 3½ miles away); Helen Hooven Santmyer (approx. 3½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Xenia.

Also see . . . Lewis A. Jackson (1912-1994). At eight, Jackson started working to contribute to his family’s income. He also constructed model airplanes and read about crosswind landings in encyclopedias. (Samuel Momodu, Blackpast, May 13, 2024) (Submitted on May 30, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

Jackson at Tuskegee image. Click for full size.

via Air Force Historical Research Agency (Public Domain), April 19, 1941

4. Jackson at Tuskegee

Jackson (left), First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Charles A. Anderson during Roosevelt's visit to Tuskegee in April, 1941.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 31, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 29, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 521 times since then and 44 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 29, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 4. submitted on May 30, 2024, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator⎯⎯⎯Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator

Lewis A. Jackson, Aviator
⎯⎯⎯
Lewis A. Jackson, Educator & Innovator