Archie William League (August 19, 1907 – October 1, 1986) is generally considered the first
air traffic controllerAir traffic controllers are the people who operate the air traffic control systems to expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic and help prevent mid-air collisions. They apply separation rules to keep aircraft apart from each other in their area of responsibility and move all...
.
League had been a licensed pilot, and licensed engine and aircraft mechanic. He had
barnstormedBarnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus...
around in
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
and
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
with his "flying circus," prior to St. Louis hiring him as the first U.S. air traffic controller in 1929. He was stationed at the airfield in St. Louis, Missouri (now known as
Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport is the primary airport for St. Louis, Missouri, United States and the surrounding area.The airport lies outside the St. Louis city limits in St. Louis County and is owned and operated by the City of St. Louis...
).
Archie William League (August 19, 1907 – October 1, 1986) is generally considered the first
air traffic controllerAir traffic controllers are the people who operate the air traffic control systems to expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic and help prevent mid-air collisions. They apply separation rules to keep aircraft apart from each other in their area of responsibility and move all...
.
League had been a licensed pilot, and licensed engine and aircraft mechanic. He had
barnstormedBarnstorming was a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s in which stunt pilots would perform tricks with airplanes, either individually or in groups called a flying circus...
around in
MissouriMissouri is a state in the Midwest region of the United States bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. Missouri is the 18th most populous state with a 2008 estimated population of 5,911,605. It comprises 114 counties and one independent city....
and
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
with his "flying circus," prior to St. Louis hiring him as the first U.S. air traffic controller in 1929. He was stationed at the airfield in St. Louis, Missouri (now known as
Lambert-St. Louis International AirportLambert-St. Louis International Airport is the primary airport for St. Louis, Missouri, United States and the surrounding area.The airport lies outside the St. Louis city limits in St. Louis County and is owned and operated by the City of St. Louis...
). Before the installation of a radio tower, he was a flagman who directed traffic via flags. His first "control tower" consisted of a wheelbarrow on which he mounted a beach umbrella for the summer heat. In it he carried a beach chair, his lunch, water, a note pad and a pair of signal flags to direct the aircraft. He used a checkered flag to indicate to the pilot "GO", i.e. proceed, or a red flag to indicate the pilot should "HOLD" their position. He kept warm out on the field in the winters by wearing a padded flying suit. When a radio tower was installed in the early 1930s, he became the airport's first radio controller.
League went on to earn a degree in
aeronautical engineeringAerospace engineering is the branch of engineering behind the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is broken into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
from
Washington University in St. LouisWashington University in St. Louis is a nonsectarian, private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853 and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than one hundred and twenty five nations...
. League joined the Federal service in 1937 at the Bureau of Air Commerce (the precursor to the Civil Aeronautics Authority, and the
Federal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
). He rose rapidly through the ranks as an Air Traffic controller, served as a pilot in
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(where he rose to the rank of
ColonelColonel is a military rank of a commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country in the world. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) then progressed to his first top management position in 1956, as Assistant Regional Administrator of the Central Region. He next went to Washington headquarters as Chief of the Planning Division (Planning and Development Office) in 1958. After a short assignment as Director, Bureau of National Capital Airports, he moved to
Fort WorthFort Worth is the seventeenth-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city within the state of Texas. Located in and a cultural gateway into the American West, the city covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, and Denton counties, serving as the county seat for Tarrant...
as the Director of Southwest Region. His next assignment was in May 1965, relocating to Washington headquarters as Director of Air Traffic Services, where he became head of the staff responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the nation’s air traffic control system. He eventually became FAA's Air Traffic Service director and retired as an Assistant Administrator for Appraisal in 1973. During his 36-year career he helped develop the federal air traffic control system. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (
NATCAThe National Air Traffic Controllers Association is a labor union in the United States. It is affiliated with the AFL-CIO, and is the exclusive bargaining representative for air traffic controllers employed by the Federal Aviation Administration...
) named the Archie League Medal of Safety Awards after him.
He was born in 1907 at
Poplar Bluff, MissouriPoplar Bluff is a city in Butler County located in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is the county seat of Butler County and is known as "The Gateway To The Ozarks" among other names. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 16,651; a 2007 estimate showed the population to...
in
Butler CountyButler County is a county located in the southeast Ozark Foothills Region in Southeast Missouri in the United States. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the county's population was 40,867. A 2008 estimate, however, showed the population to be 41,305. The largest city and county seat is Poplar Bluff...
. He died on October 1, 1986 at the age of 79 in
Annandale, VirginiaAnnandale is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 54,994 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
See also