Neta Snook Southern
Neta Snook | |
|---|---|
Neta Snook in 1921 at Kinner Field, California (Image courtesy Karsten Smedal via Ames Historical Society). | |
| Born | Mary Anita Snook February 14, 1896 |
| Died | March 23, 1991 (aged 95) |
| Occupation | Aviator |
| Known for | Amelia Earhart's first flying instructor |
| Spouse | Bill Southern |
Mary Anita "Neta" Snook Southern (February 14, 1896 – March 23, 1991) was a pioneer aviator who achieved a long list of firsts. She was the first woman aviator in Iowa, first woman student accepted at the Curtiss Flying School in Virginia, first woman aviator to run her own aviation business and first woman to run a commercial airfield. Yet "Snooky", as her friends called her, was fated to be remembered for her relationship to Amelia Earhart. Her autobiography I Taught Amelia to Fly captures the essence of her fame and she is linked to Earhart, as her first instructor.