Finan, Edward J.

Edward J. Finan was born in Chicago, Illinois, about 1898. He was one of the early aviators who flew at Cicero Field in Chicago. He was taught to fly by Lincoln Beachey, and was a flight instructor at the 1912 Chicago Air Show. Finan joined the Illinois Naval Militia on April 3, 1917, and joined the U.S. Navy on April 14, 1917 until November 7, 1919. In 1919 Finan joined the Merchant Marines and served until 1928. After leaving the Merchant Marines, he worked for the Sanitary District of Chicago Drainage Board. Finan then served as Chairman of the Employment Commission for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. In 1935 he married Gladys Catherine Petersen. On December 17, 1941, Finan returned to active duty in the Merchant Marines. In 1950 Finan ran for United States Senator for Wisconsin in the Republican Primary. Finan was President of the On Guard America Foundation. Finan, along with Jesse Brabazon and Irving "Shake" Paradise formed the Pioneers of the Skyways, an organization dedicated to telling and preserving the stories of early aviators, especially those who flew between 1908 and 1915.