Flying Club

In 1934, Mary Kimball, an avid aviator, founded the Smith College Flying Club so that she and other young women would have the opportunity to learn more about aviation and to participate in intercollegiate air meets and activities while at Smith. While the club attracted only twelve members at its founding, its membership increased and during its peak years, as many as forty young women could be seen attending lectures on flight theory and mechanics and participating in flying exercises and meets throughout New England. In 1950, however, Flying Club members were prohibited from competing in air meets due to a violation of college policy. While the club was allowed to continue its existence as long as members did not participate in competitions, membership declined and in 1954, the Flying Club was discontinued. The club was the first organization of its kind to be formed and supported by a women's college in the East.