The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960 Page: 18
684 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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18 Southwestern Historical Quarterly
The ceremonies attending the unveiling of the "Dallas Spirit"
at Love Field on August 6, 1927, therefore, were an occasion for a
gala celebration. On the morning of August 7, 1927, an eight-
column banner line on the front page of the Dallas News read:
TEN THOUSAND CHEER BILL ERWIN AT
DEDICATION OF DALLAS SPIRIT
and then followed the details of the christening ceremony.
Lively airs were played by the Magnolia Band as the spectators
viewed the plane, which was veiled completely in white except for
its rubber-tired wheels. Besides the ten thousand at Love Field,
a much larger audience stood by throughout Texas and the nation
to receive the ceremony over Radio Station WFAA. After Dr.
William M. Anderson, Jr., delivered the invocation, Mayor R. E.
Burt welcomed all the visitors and referred to the gathering as one
of the greatest moments in the history of the city.
G. B. Dealey, president of the Dallas News and Journal, was
next presented and declared his conviction that Bill Erwin would
accomplish everything he set out to do, and would make known
the Dallas spirit throughout the length and breadth of the world.
Additional cheers were given when Colonel W. E. Easterwood,
Jr., concluded with a pledge to present his personal check for
$5,000 to Captain Erwin upon the successful winning of the
$25,000.
Fred Florence introduced Captain Erwin and his parents, the
Reverend and Mrs. W. A. Erwin, of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. In
presenting Captain Erwin, Mr. Florence referred to him as a fine
gentleman and an aviator of unquestioned ability. He sketched
Erwin's experience in World War I when he shot down eleven
enemy planes and was shot down himself on five occasions, once
behind the enemy lines, and told of the decorations he had re-
ceived. Erwin was characterized as "a man typical of the Dallas
Spirit, a real ace and aviator of the first rank."
The audience applauded wildly when Captain Erwin stepped
forward to acknowledge the introduction. Disclaiming any inten-
tion of making a speech, he remarked:
As a speechmaker I hope I am a better flyer. We are going to do our
best on this flight. We are going to make every possible preparation
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 63, July 1959 - April, 1960, periodical, 1960; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101186/m1/38/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.