Zurilgen, H. W., Lt. Col.

Biographical/Historical note

Captain Roy N. Francis, born 1886 in Santa Clara County to Octave Francis, is considered one of the "early birds" of American aviation. In 1911, he took off from Cow Flat near the Presidio of San Francisco, and made a successful flight in a biplane of his own design. On November 18, 1912, his twin-tractor plane made the first passenger flight over the San Francisco Bay carrying local theatre member Vivian O'Brian, taking off from Alameda and landing near Cliff House. Later he partnered with Charles Patterson in Patterson-Francis Aviation Company, San Francisco. They produced a two-engine tractor flying boat, which Francis flew in the 1913 Great Lakes Reliability Tour, and a Twin-Tractor plane designed by Francis.

During World War I Francis was a flying instructor for the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as executive officer at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. He was honorably discharged at Kelly Field on September 30, 1920, after earning three silver war service chevrons. After World War I, Francis returned to San Francisco from Washington and ran an electrical supplies shop on the corner of Polk and Pine Streets.

In 1931, he was appointed superintendent of San Francisco Airport, then called Mills Field, and held the post for two and a half years.

Francis was active in the American Legion, serving as commander of the Floyd Bennett Aviation Post 333 from 1943-44. He passed away in 1952.

From the guide to the H. W. Zurilgen Collection on Roy N. Francis, 1910-1952, (History San Jose Research Library)