Ray Kuhlman
Encyclopedia
Joseph Raymond "Ray" Kuhlman (born ca. 1919 in Frostburg, Maryland
- died October 15, 2003 in Kinston, North Carolina
) was a pilot
, businessman, and minor league baseball
owner. Ray joined the military prior to World War II
and graduated from a new program as a Flying Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps
in December 1941. Kuhlman was commissioned as a second lieutenant
in October 1942 and spent the rest of the war as a member of the Military Air Transportation Service (MATS) with overseas tours in India
, China
, Italy
, and France
. In 1944, Ray flew a Consolidated
C-87 Liberator Express
, from the United States
to India on route to China for duty on what was known as the Beebe Project, but his plane and nineteen other C-87s were appropriated by the Air Transport Command
and kept in India to fly The Hump
over the Himalayas
for the ATC.
In 1946, Kuhlman became a commercial airline pilot with Capital Airlines
, which later merged with United Airlines
, where he was a senior Boeing 727
pilot until he retired on May 28, 1979. An early assignment as First Officer on a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 resulted in Kuhlman being among the crew that piloted the first commercial airliner into Wheeling-Ohio County Airport ("Stifel Field") at Wheeling, West Virginia
on November 1, 1946. In 1996, Kuhlman and other surviving crew members attended 50th anniversary celebrations at the airport and a mural ("Inbound to Stifel") was commissioned for the main terminal lobby showing their DC-3 coming into Wheeling.
In 1978, one year prior to his retirement as an airline pilot, Kuhlman purchased a Carolina League
baseball
franchise
and decided to locate it in Kinston, North Carolina. Kinston had been without a minor league team since the end of the 1974 season when their Kinston Expos folded following a disappointing year. Kuhlman and his wife, Ruth, ran the franchise together until Ray retired again in 1983. Kuhlman, at first, chose to name his unaffiliated team the Kinston Eagles, which was the traditional name for professional baseball teams in the city dating back to 1925, and he continued with that name even after the club signed on as an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
in 1979. The name of the team was finally changed to Kinston Blue Jays in 1982.
Kuhlman's manager during the 1978 campaign was Leo Mazzone
, who went on to become a very successful pitching coach with the Atlanta Braves
. Some would argue that Mazzone was the most successful pitching coach of all time with his pitching staffs being given much of the credit for fourteen straight division titles. Kuhlman was instrumental in Mazzone landing in the Braves organization. His contacts within the Braves organization and hearty endorsement were key factors leading to his acquisition by Atlanta.
Kinston's membership in the Carolina League has been continuous since Kuhlman's purchase of the franchise in 1978, and the team is now known as the Kinston Indians
. Kuhlman was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Kuhlman died at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston on October 15, 2003 at the age of 84 and was buried at the Coastal Carolina State Veteran's Cemetery. Ray and his wife, Ruth, had been married for fifty-eight years. He was survived by a daughter, Patricia K. Murphey, and a son, David C. Kuhlman.
Frostburg, Maryland
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census...
- died October 15, 2003 in Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston, North Carolina
Kinston is a city in Lenoir County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 23,688 at the 2000 census. The population was estimated at 22,360 in 2008. It has been the county seat of Lenoir County since its formation in 1791 . Kinston is located in North Carolina's Inner Banks...
) was a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, businessman, and minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
owner. Ray joined the military prior to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and graduated from a new program as a Flying Sergeant in the U.S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in December 1941. Kuhlman was commissioned as a second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in October 1942 and spent the rest of the war as a member of the Military Air Transportation Service (MATS) with overseas tours in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. In 1944, Ray flew a Consolidated
Consolidated Aircraft
The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation was founded in 1923 by Reuben H. Fleet, the result of the Gallaudet Aircraft Company's liquidation and Fleet's purchase of designs from the Dayton-Wright Company as the subsidiary was being closed by its parent corporation, General Motors. Consolidated became...
C-87 Liberator Express
C-87 Liberator Express
|-References:NotesBibliography* Andrade, John. U.S. Military Aircraft Designations and Serials since 1909. Hinckley, UK: Midland Counties Publications, 1979. ISBN 0-904597-22-9....
, from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to India on route to China for duty on what was known as the Beebe Project, but his plane and nineteen other C-87s were appropriated by the Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command
Air Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
and kept in India to fly The Hump
The Hump
The Hump was the name given by Allied pilots in the Second World War to the eastern end of the Himalayan Mountains over which they flew military transport aircraft from India to China to resupply the Chinese war effort of Chiang Kai-shek and the units of the United States Army Air Forces based in...
over the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
for the ATC.
In 1946, Kuhlman became a commercial airline pilot with Capital Airlines
Capital Airlines
Capital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
, which later merged with United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
, where he was a senior Boeing 727
Boeing 727
The Boeing 727 is a mid-size, narrow-body, three-engine, T-tailed commercial jet airliner, manufactured by Boeing. The Boeing 727 first flew in 1963, and for over a decade more were built per year than any other jet airliner. When production ended in 1984 a total of 1,832 aircraft had been produced...
pilot until he retired on May 28, 1979. An early assignment as First Officer on a Pennsylvania Central Airlines DC-3 resulted in Kuhlman being among the crew that piloted the first commercial airliner into Wheeling-Ohio County Airport ("Stifel Field") at Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on November 1, 1946. In 1996, Kuhlman and other surviving crew members attended 50th anniversary celebrations at the airport and a mural ("Inbound to Stifel") was commissioned for the main terminal lobby showing their DC-3 coming into Wheeling.
In 1978, one year prior to his retirement as an airline pilot, Kuhlman purchased a Carolina League
Carolina League
The Carolina League is a minor league baseball affiliation which operates in the South Atlantic Coast of the United States. Before 2002, it was classified as a "High A" league, indicating its status as a Class A league with the highest level of competition within that classification, and the fifth...
baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
and decided to locate it in Kinston, North Carolina. Kinston had been without a minor league team since the end of the 1974 season when their Kinston Expos folded following a disappointing year. Kuhlman and his wife, Ruth, ran the franchise together until Ray retired again in 1983. Kuhlman, at first, chose to name his unaffiliated team the Kinston Eagles, which was the traditional name for professional baseball teams in the city dating back to 1925, and he continued with that name even after the club signed on as an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
in 1979. The name of the team was finally changed to Kinston Blue Jays in 1982.
Kuhlman's manager during the 1978 campaign was Leo Mazzone
Leo Mazzone
Leo David Mazzone is a former pitcher in minor league baseball and coach in Major League Baseball. He began working with the Atlanta Braves' organization in 1979.-Early life:...
, who went on to become a very successful pitching coach with the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. Some would argue that Mazzone was the most successful pitching coach of all time with his pitching staffs being given much of the credit for fourteen straight division titles. Kuhlman was instrumental in Mazzone landing in the Braves organization. His contacts within the Braves organization and hearty endorsement were key factors leading to his acquisition by Atlanta.
Kinston's membership in the Carolina League has been continuous since Kuhlman's purchase of the franchise in 1978, and the team is now known as the Kinston Indians
Kinston Indians
The Kinston Indians were a minor league baseball team of the Carolina League , and the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. They were located in Kinston, North Carolina, and were named for their parent club...
. Kuhlman was inducted into the Kinston Professional Baseball Hall of Fame in 1989.
Kuhlman died at Lenoir Memorial Hospital in Kinston on October 15, 2003 at the age of 84 and was buried at the Coastal Carolina State Veteran's Cemetery. Ray and his wife, Ruth, had been married for fifty-eight years. He was survived by a daughter, Patricia K. Murphey, and a son, David C. Kuhlman.