Randle H. Egbert, D.D.S., is a dentist in the Greater Cincinnati area. He has been involved with Special Collections and Archives on other projects, including the donation of the William Preston Mayfield Collection. These papers reflect his interest in the Wright Brothers and early aviation.
The Egbert Aviation Papers consist primarily of items related to the Wright Brothers. The Wright Brothers were raised in Dayton, Ohio, and in Indiana by their parents, Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Catherine Wright. Books, study, and learning filled their childhood. Orville, with help from Wilbur, set up a printing press and a bicycle shop in Dayton. By 1899, the Wright Brothers had conducted thorough flight research and experimented with flight but realized they needed more wind. Wilbur and Orville Wright developed the first effective airplane and made their first recorded flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where wind conditions were more conducive to their flight experiment. In 1908 Orville became the first person to fly for more than an hour. During the same year, Wilbur flew over 100 flights at Le Mans, France. The Wright Brothers were extremely influential within the aviation community and dramatically impacted the development of aviation technology. Wilbur died at age 45 in 1912. Orville died in 1948 in Dayton and thousands attended his funeral.
From the guide to the Randle H. Egbert Aviation Collection, 1904-2004, (Wright State University, Special Collections and Archives)
