On Aug. 14, 1933, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart responded to a letter she received from a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a pilot. That previously unpublished letter, containing practical advice and encouragement, is now being sold for $15,000.
June Pierson, 13, of Detroit wrote to Earhart, asking her to share the steps she needed to take in order to become a pilot. In her one-page letter, Earhart said Pierson needed to first undergo a physical examination to ensure she could safely fly, and then start taking lessons. She could also take on other jobs in the industry, Earhart wrote, like working as an air hostess or in a factory. "As far as women's opportunities in flying go, I think they will improve as they have in all industries," Earhart said. "Just now there are no pilots on the regular scheduled airlines. Someday I expect there will be." At the end of the letter, Earhart — who would disappear during an around-the-world flight in 1937 — promised to answer any additional questions Pierson might have.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
