David E. Harris, a former Air Force bomber pilot who at the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s became the first black pilot hired by a major commercial airline in the United States, died March 8 in Marietta, Ga. 33 km northwest of Atlanta. It was 89.
His death, in a hospice, was confirmed by his daughter Leslie Germaine.
American Airlines hired Mr. Harris in 1964 and he flew for the carrier for 30 years, becoming a captain in 1967. In 1984 he made American history for the second time when he flew the first flight crew on a commercial airliner.
Before Mr. Harris was hired, airline executives had discriminated against black pilots for years out of fear that white passengers would not want to board the planes they flew and that it would be too difficult to find them hotel accommodations.
“He knew he was exceptionally qualified, so on paper he would seem like an ideal candidate for many commercial airlines,” wrote Michael H. Cottman in his book Segregated Skies: David Harris’s Trailblazing Journey to Rise Above Racial Barriers (2021). “But once he was brought in for an interview and a prospective employer saw the color of his skin, he was worried he would face disappointment again and again.”
Mr Harris, who had fair skin and green eyes, also feared airline staff might mistake him for white. He decided to leave no doubt as to who he was, ending his letters of application by writing, “I am married, have two children, and am a Negro.”
Several airlines didn’t even bother to respond.
Another black pilot, Marlon D. Green, was among the first to fight back in court. He sued Continental Airlines for racial discrimination after being denied a job in 1957. The case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled in Mr. Green’s favor in 1963. Continental hired him in 1965.
“Marlon Greene is part of aviation and civil rights history,” Mr. Harris is quoted as saying in Mr. Cottman’s book. “He paved the way for me and many other black pilots who followed.”
In 1964, Mr. Harris received a telegram from American Airlines arranging an interview in Dallas with the company’s chief pilot. Even after Mr. Green’s legal victory, Mr. Harris still had doubts about whether he was qualified enough to be hired.
“I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings with you or your company,” Mr. Harris told the chief pilot, according to Mr. Cottman’s book. “I am a Negro. I’m a little worried because I’ve put it in many applications to other airlines and they’ve turned me down.”
“Young pilot,” replied the chief pilot, “this is American Airlines. We don’t care if you’re Black, White or Chartreuse. We just want to know this: Can you fly the plane the right way?’
Mr. Harris answered in the affirmative.
David Ellsworth Harris was born on December 22, 1934 in Columbus, Ohio. His father, Wilbur Harris Sr., was a plumber, electrician and carpenter who installed gas station equipment. His mother, Ruth Arlene (Estis) Harris, managed the household.
Mr. Harris attended Ohio State University, where he studied education and was a member of the Air Force ROTC.After graduating in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree and an Air Force commission, he began flight training at Bartow Air Force Base in Florida, where he flew Bomber B -52 and B-47. He retired in 1964 as a captain.
Mr. Harris married Linda Dandridge in 1958. They divorced in 1984 but remained lifelong friends. His second wife, Virginia Lynn Harris, died in 2000. In addition to his daughter Leslie, he is survived by another daughter, Camian Harris-Foley. six grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
In 1971, Whitney M. Young Jr., the executive director of the National Urban League and a towering leader of the civil rights movement, drowned while swimming in Lagos, Nigeria.
Mr. Young’s wife chartered an American Airlines plane to take her husband’s body from his funeral in New York to his burial in Kentucky. Several civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, would be on board. He asked Mr. Harris to serve as pilot.
As Mr. Harris left the house that morning, his wife joked: “For God’s sake, don’t screw this up. You’re going to wipe out the entire civil rights movement!”
Mr. Harris considered that flight one of the most important of his career.
“I was flattered that he asked to fly the charter,” he said. “It was an honor.”
