Converse, Edmund

He was born in New York City in 1906. He grew up in California and earned a Bachelor or Arts in Economics and a law degree from Stanford University by 1934. He was on the staff of U. S. Senator Styles Bridges from 1937 to 1941 when he entered the Navy serving in the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Pacific Fleet, and the Office of Strategic Services. In 1945 he founded Bonanza Airlines out of Las Vegas. He was President and Chairman of the Board until Bonanza merged into Air West Airlines where he became a Vice Chairman of the Board.

During this period he was a ranking member of such aviation advocacy groups as the National Association Manufacturers, the Air Transport Association of America, and the Association of Local Transport Airlines. His active interest in Republican politics was mainly expressed at the local level in Arizona and Nevada. He worked in the Dewey, Eisenhower, Goldwater, and Nixon campaigns serving on various business committees and attending of state and national conventions. He was active in the Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce.