Hot Springs in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)
James Smith McDonnell
Aviation Pioneer
| | Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame | |
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 2024
1. James Smith McDonnell Marker
M.I.T. Aeronautical Engineer Formed McDonnell Aircraft Corp 1939 Primary supplier of fighter jets to US Military and worldwide Built first space Mercury Capsule for NASA Served as first CEO of McDonnell Douglas Corp Arkansas and National Aviation Halls of Fame Chairman of the United Nations Associations of US
Little Rock, Arkansas Inducted 2021
Erected by Hot Springs Arkansas Walk of Fame.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1939.
Location. 34° 30.639′ N, 93° 3.233′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is at the intersection of Central Avenue (State Highway 7) and Spring Street, on the right when traveling north on Central Avenue. The marker is embedded in the sidewalk on the west side of the Hot Springs City Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 629 Central Avenue, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Upper South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Rodger Bumpass (here, next to this marker); Don Munro (here, next to this marker); Henry Bernard Glover (here, next to this marker); Ashlie Atkinson (here, next to this
this page online
Also see . . . James Smith McDonnell (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: James Smith "Mac" McDonnell (April 9, 1899 August 22, 1980) was an American aviator, engineer, and businessman. He was an aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas (which is now Boeing, after the latter's company merger in 1997), and the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Born in Denver, Colorado, McDonnell was of Scottish descent and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas, and graduated from Little Rock High School in 1917.(Submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
He founded McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in 1939. Headquartered in St. Louis, the company quickly grew into a principal supplier of fighter aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy including the F-4 Phantom II and built the Mercury and Gemini space capsules. In 1967, McDonnell Aircraft merged with the Douglas Aircraft Company to create McDonnellDouglas. Later that year Douglas Aircraft Company's space and missiles division became part of a new subsidiary called McDonnell Douglas Astronautics, located in Huntington Beach, California, producing the Delta series of launch vehicles. The new combined company also developed the F-15 Eagle and F/A-18 Hornet fighters.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 13, 20242. James Smith McDonnell MarkerLooking west across Central Avenue from the Hot Springs City Visitor Center; it is the 2nd from the left of four markers in this photo.
The Arkansas Aviation Historical Society selected McDonnell in 1980 as one of five initial inductees in the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. McDonnell was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1977.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 21, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
