Walter Douglas Jr. was born into a distinguished Arizona family deeply rooted in the state's mining history. His father, Walter Douglas, played a significant role in the development of railroads in southern Arizona and Mexico and served as the president and chairman of the Phelps Dodge Mining Company.s grandfatheWalter's grandfather, Dr. James Douglas, was a pioneering metallurgist who, in 1881, was commissioned to examine properties in the Bisbee and Morenci areas for potential investment in Arizona's mineral industry. Dr. James Douglas managed the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company from 1885 to 1917 and was president of Phelps Dodge & Co. from 1909 to 1918. The town of Douglas, Arizona, was named in his honor for his contributions to the region.
However, Walter Douglas Jr.'s interests veered towards aviation rather than mining.
Born in 1910, in Santa Barbara, California, Walter Douglas Jr. spent his early childhood in Bisbee, Arizona, before moving to New York at the age of six, where he received his education. He learned to fly in 1930, soloing in a Fleet biplane that is now on display at Pima Air Museum. His passion for aviation led him to establish Gilpin Air Lines in San Francisco, California, in 1928.
After the Great Depression forced his business to close, Walter relocated to Tucson in 1934 at the encouragement of his godmother, Isabella Greenway(2). In 1936(1), he purchased land and revived Gilpin Airlines, providing charter services and flight training.
During World War II, his airport offered flight instruction for Navy pilots, and later for civilian pilots under the G.I. Bill. In 1938, Walter acquired Grand Canyon Airlines and operated charter flights to various locations around the Grand Canyon, northern Arizona, and southern Utah. He sold his Tucson airport to the city in 1959 due to urban development.
Beyond aviation, Walter Douglas Jr. had a keen interest in education. In 1943, he was appointed to the Flowing Wells Board of Education to fill a vacancy and was subsequently reelected. In 1950, he became board president, a position he held until his death in 1987. The Flowing Wells School District named an elementary school after him in 1963, and in 1969, the State School Board Association recognized him as "the most outstanding school board member in the state of Arizona."
Walter married Annabelle Spriggs Wager in 1938
Walter Douglas Jr.
continued to fly until id death in January 1987.
Notes:
1. A variation of the story: In 1941, Walter Douglas
(Sr) purchased 175 acres of land near the Casa Grande highway and Romero Rd. Douglas, the former head of the Southern Pacific of Mexico
(a railroad company), was the father of Walter Douglas Jr.
The new airport was to house the headquarters of the G. and G. Airlines Company. The younger Douglas was the president of that company which had been founded by Charles W. Gilpin and Isabella Greenway.
2. Isabella Dinsmore Greenway (née Selmes; born March 22, 1886 – December 18, 1953) was an American politician who was the first congresswoman in Arizona history, and the founder of the Arizona Inn of Tucson. During her life she was also noted as a one-time owner and operator of Los Angeles-based Gilpin
Airlines, a speaker at the 1932 Democratic National Convention, and a
bridesmaid at the wedding of Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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