New Britain herald., 1930-10-24
WE'D MOVIE STAR,
 NOW PLANE MOGUL
Harry Williams Operates Al
 Aircraft Serving Dixie

p wood by marrying the charming 1 and popular young woman and rob- bing movieland of one of it's most l prominent figures.
 Admirers of Marguerite Clark in 1 those days were numerous; and | most of them promptly asked, And 1 who is Harry P. Williams?"
 In those days Williams wasn't l exactly famous, except around New 1 Orleans, where he was known as an 1 energetic, well-to-do young business man who had a passion for fas. automobiles and speed boats. Today. however. If you should ask that question, New Orleans would Immediately answer: He's a millionaire aviation mag rate, the biggest man in his field iii the south, the biggest individual airplane owner in the world and the operator of the biggest air ser Vice in America outside of the lines run by groups of New York capi- talists."
 This answer would be correct; and Williams eminence in this field came, oddly enough, because of that eagerness of his to do fast travel ing.
 Williams got his first plane ride ii 1909. He was in England a. the time, and Bleriot. the French man. had just electrified the world by flying across the English chan rel Williams took ride in plane there an old Curtiss push CT" in which pilot and passenger sat out in front, their legs dangling oyer empty space. while two pro- pellers at the back of the plane pushed their rickety crate on it's unstable course through the air.
 That one ride was enough. Will Hams climbed out thankfully when ia was over and allowed that the joys of aviation were exaggerated. l. was 16 years before he got into ar arplane again.
 And yet, today, just having cele- brated his fist birthday. he can look back on more than 5000 hours spent in the air nearly 1,500 of them with himself at the controls. He has invested close to $500,000 in aviation, and his planes have car ried thousands of passengers with out one death or serious accident. He owns three airports and is build ing an airI,lane factory.
 Williams was the son of a rich man. Frank B. Williams, who made his money cutting and marketing cypress lumber from the Louisiana swamps. Young Williams went to New Jerseys famous LaWrenceville Academy, spent some time at Sewanee University, and finally, at the age of 16, went to work for his father.
 He spent some time as oilcr on a stern wheeled packet boat that car ried supplies to the lumber camps; then he became q production man. ager, with from five to 20 lumber camps in his charge, going about the rivers Tn a cabin cruiser with two pistols strapped to his waist for use in killing rattlesnakes.
 AS a young man he had taken to riding fast horses. Then, when
 
 bought fast automobiles and drove them for all he was worth. Then he got interested in outboard motor boats, building d string of them. of which the newest-Rocket II-has been unotficially clocked at 53 miles ar hour, three miles better than the worlds record.
 Thor, two hrot harc Tim my and Walter Wedell, flew into Patterson La, where Williams lives, with an old airplane on a transforming tour. Williams made flight with them, found it was more fun than that almost prehis- toric flight of 1909 had been, and got to talking with them.
 They persuaded him that flying airplanes was q lot of sport, and in 1928 they sold him a plane for his own use. He learned to fly it in q short time, and in the spring Of 1929 joined with the brothers in organizing the Wedell- Williams Air Service, Inc. He boughtfor $l5, 900 the aviation interests of Jim Mene- lee and launched passenger air service By June he had planes fly ing regularly from New Orleans to Eaton Rouge. Alexandria and Shreveport.
 Then he bought another plane and started a New Orleans St. Louis run. A little later he threw q line from New Orleans to Dallas and Fort Worth, and last spring he ad- ded run to Beaumont and Hous- ion.
 Now his lines have 41 planes Williams also has a luxurious ship Of his oWn-a crimson winged Lock heed Sirius like the one in which Colonel and Mrs. Lindbcrgh flew across the continent for new record, q plane capable of doing better than 200 miles an hour
 Is Air Speed Demon
 However a few days ago he found Il ship that could go even fastcr-a racing monoplane built by Jimmy Wedell and himself Williams took this ship up 10 a 6,000-foot altitude opened the throttle wide and head ed down in d full power dive, pull ing out of il when the motor begaf to show signs of trouble. He esti- mates that in this dive he was traveling between 3oO and 40o mile; an hour. The thirst for speed tha' began with riding fast horses ha. been satisfied at last.
 Williams is not widely known d: q philanthropist; however, he hat apent more than $10o,o00 in send ing some 50 Louisiana boys to col lege. Quietly, and without attract ing any attention, he has financed the education of promising youn, 1ren in institutions all over th' country; today he has protegcs il such places as SeWanee, Tulane, thu LL--r..itL. of NIiGhlgln -lLLIaLIL n.