David S. Ingalls

David S. Ingalls was an American naval aviator, politician, and businessman who became the United States Navy's only flying ace during World War I. A recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross, he later served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Aeronautics under President Herbert Hoover and had a prominent career in insurance and Republican Party politics in Ohio. His legacy is marked by his pioneering role in American naval aviation and his subsequent contributions to public service and industry.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent family in Cleveland, he was the son of industrialist Robert Ingalls and the grandson of U.S. Senator Albert J. Beveridge from Indiana. He received his early education at the University School in Cleveland before enrolling at Yale University. At Yale, he was a member of the Skull and Bones society and graduated in 1920, though his studies were interrupted by his military service during the Great War.

World War I service

Determined to join the air war, he traveled to Canada in 1917 to enlist with the Royal Flying Corps after finding U.S. Army aviation opportunities limited. He completed flight training in England and was commissioned into the Royal Air Force upon its formation in April 1918. Assigned to No. 213 Squadron RAF flying the Sopwith Camel, he saw intense combat over the Western Front and notably in the Battle of Hamel and during the Hundred Days Offensive. Credited with six aerial victories, he was awarded the British Distinguished Flying Cross and, upon transfer to the United States Navy, received the American Navy Cross and Distinguished Service Cross, becoming the U.S. Navy's sole ace of the conflict.

Business and political career

After the war, he returned to Ohio and earned a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1923. He practiced law briefly before entering the insurance business, eventually becoming president of the Cleveland-based Ingalls & Snyder investment firm. An active member of the Republican Party, he served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Aeronautics from 1929 to 1932 under President Herbert Hoover and Secretary Charles Francis Adams III. In this role, he was a key advocate for the expansion and technological advancement of the Navy's air arm. He later served as campaign manager for Robert A. Taft's successful 1938 U.S. Senate race and was himself an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of Ohio in 1940.

Personal life and legacy

In 1924, he married Louise Harkness, daughter of William Harkness and an heiress to the Standard Oil fortune. The couple had three children and were prominent figures in Cincinnati and Cleveland society. During World War II, he returned to service as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Air Forces, serving on the staff of the Air Transport Command. He remained involved in civic and veterans' organizations, including the American Legion and the National Aeronautic Association. He died in Cincinnati in 1985 and is buried in Lake View Cemetery. His historic Sopwith Camel biplane is preserved at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.

Category:American World War I flying aces Category:United States Navy officers Category:Ohio Republicans Category:1899 births Category:1985 deaths