Clara Adams
Clara Adams with LZ-127 Graf Zeppelin
Little remembered today, Clara Adams was well known during the 1920’s, 30’s, and 40’s as a pioneer of commercial aviation — and always as a paying passenger. Known as a “First Flighter,” she was aboard the maiden flights of famous airships including the Hindenburg, flying boats including the Pan Am Clippers, and early airliners, and she became acquainted with many of the famous aviators of the day, including Amelia Earhart (picture).
Mrs. Adams was married to George L. Adams, president of the American Leather Tanning company, who owned a series of tanneries in Pennsylvania. George Adams, who was 4o years older than his young wife, died in 1929, leaving Clara a wealthy widow with the time and funds to indulge her passion for air travel.
Clara Adams made her first flight in March, 1914, in a Thomas flying boat piloted by Army Captain Walter E. Johnson: “I was a mere youngster but it was an experience that marked the beginning of years of flying. I have never handled the controls and have no desire to become a pilot.”
Adams began her long association with zeppelins in 1924 with a letter of introduction to Hugo Eckener from Field Marshall Paul von Hindenburg, to whom she was related. (Clara Adams was born Clara Grabau,on December 3, 1884, to a German family living in Cincinnati, Ohio; her grandmother was Augusta von Hindenburg, a cousin of the German general and future president.)
Her letter of introduction to Eckener from von Hindenburg “opened the magic doors of the Zeppelin realm,” as she described it, and Eckener invited her to fly on one of the test flights of the LZ-126/ZR-III, which had been built for the Americans as war reparations and would become the United States Navy airship USS Los Angeles.
Clara Adams with Dr. and Mrs. Hugo Eckener in Friedrichshafen, November 3, 1928, after arriving from North America aboard Graf Zeppelin.
In 1928, Adams purchased the first transatlantic air ticket ever sold to a female passenger, and was on the first flight of the airship Graf Zeppelin from North America to Europe in October, 1928.
When the zeppelin Hindenburg made its maiden flight from Germany to the United States in May, 1936, Adams was again one of the passengers, along with her friend Lady Grace Hay Drummond-Hay.
The loss of the airship Hindenburg in May, 1937 apparently did not shake Adam’s enthusiasm for zeppelin travel; she later recounted that “on the day after the destruction of the Hindenburg, I wrote out my check for $100 to be held as a deposit for the first ticket for the new dirigible, LZ-130… This I did to prove that I had not lost confidence in dirigible travel.”
Adams was also a pioneering passenger in the other leading aviation technology of the day, the flying boat. In 1931, she was the only paying woman passenger on the flight of Germany’s massive, twelve-engined Dornier DO-X flying boat from Rio de Janeiro to New York.
Dornier DO-X
Clara Adams with Pan American's Hawaii Clipper
Clara Adams was also aboard many Pan Am Clippers for their inaugural flights, including the first passenger flight across the Pacific on Pan American’s “Hawaii Clipper.” The Martin M-130 left San Francisco on October 21, 1936 and flew to Manila in the Philippines, with stops at Hawaii, Midway, Wake, and Guam. And the following year Mrs. Adams was on the first flight of Pan Am’s Bermuda Clipper from New York to Bermuda in 1937.
Clara Adams made one of her most famous trips in 1939, when she set a world record for an around-the-world flight solely on scheduled passenger airlines. She left New York on June 28, 1939 aboard Pan American’s “Dixie Clipper” (a Boeing 314 flying boat which in 1943 would carry President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Casablanca Conference). Traveling on Pan American, Deutsche Lufthansa, KLM, and United Airlines, she circled the globe in 16 days and 19 hours, with stops in Horta, Lisbon, Marseille, Leipzig, Athens, Basra, Jodphur, Rangoon, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Guam, Wake Island, Midway Island, Honolulu, and San Francisco, returning to New York on July 15, 1939.
Clara Adams' Around-the-World itinerary, 1939.
Clara Adams made another first flight in September, 1940, when she flew on Pan Am’s Boeing B-314 “American Clipper” as it made the first passenger flight from the United States to New Zealand.
Her flights brought her great publicity, but Clara Adams was also viewed as something of an eccentric. Time Magazine compared her to the “fire buffs” who chase fire engines in an August 3, 1931 article, and told readers that in her home town in Pennsylvania, “Mrs. Adams is considered something of a character… She owns several automobiles, yet is frequently seen walking the nine miles between Tannersville and Stroudsburg, or hailing motorists for a lift. Tall and lean, she dresses plainly, wears cotton stockings. She plays the piano with exceptional skill, is locally famed as a china-painter.”
But while Adams may have been “a character” — she was famous, or infamous, among Pan Am flight crews for pestering pilots for dozens of autographs — and while she obviously did not contribute anything to the technological development of aviation, she did play an important role in the promotion of commercial aviation in its early days. Through her relentless self-promotion (she went on lecture tours describing her aerial adventures, made sure that she received as much newspaper coverage as she could generate, and autographed mountains of postcards, menus, and other memorabilia), Clara Adams brought passenger flight to the attention of the masses, and helped change the public perception of aviation from a dangerous enterprise for daredevils in leather helmets to something that could be enjoyed by a little old widow from Pennsylvania. Her round-the-world flight in 1939 was a very public demonstration of just how far aviation had come in so short a time; Charles Lindbergh had crossed the Atlantic in May, 1927, and just twelve years later it was possible for a woman to buy a ticket to fly around the world on scheduled airlines.
And Clara Adams made sure the world knew it.
Clara Adams with Pan Am's Honolulu Clipper
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
where is clara adams buried and does anyone know how i could possibly reach
relatives of this special lady? thanks for a reply.
david helms
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Janet Reply:
February 4th, 2010 at 9:26 pm
An email full of photos sent to my by a friend today mentioned at the end of the email that her ashes were scattered per her wishes and that the location was recorded, “the ocean.” Have no information regarding her family……..
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greg goebel Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 1:20 am
David
Clara’s father was Walter Grabau. Walter had a sister, Hedwig. Hedwig was my Great grandmother. I believe Walter and Ida (his wife) had two other children (Clara’s brother of sister) who either did not survive to adulthood or are otherwise unknown. Clara and George Lincoln Adams did not have any children that I am aware of. I think that Clara was the end of the line in the Adam’s family. I have been in contact with Dr. Albrect Bodenstein, who has an extensive ancestor tree for the Grabau’s, very impressive. Hope this helps with your question.
Greg Goebel
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Wow! I’ve been researching my family geneology for some time and now there are so many more things to know. My great grandmother was Hedwig Grabau, and of course my great grandfather, Oscar Goebel Sr. My grandfather was Oscar Goebel Jr, and his wife Jesse Fitzgerald. My father was Kenneth Goebel and his wife Katheryn von Herringen. I can remember Art Goebel coming by the house and visiting with my dad.
I would like to receive more information from other relatives about the Grabau’s or Adams family. Thanks for the great article and pictures.
Greg Goebel, goebelgreg@hotmail.com
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My mother recently passed away and in going through her things we came across an old letter. Her maiden name was Buechling and her family was from Munich. On the front of the envelope was typed the following.
Clara Adams carried this letter on the Inaugural Trans-Atlantic Passenger Flight aboard the DIXIE Clipper – the first leg of her globe-girdling air trip.
Inside is a type-written letter signed by Clara and addressed to her Vesta Aner in New York.
The postmark on the envelope is dated July 13, 1939.
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As a young U. S. Navy officer and Navy pilot I flew in ZW-1 out of Lakehurst N.J. in the Blimp equiped Airborn Early Squadron ZW-1.Blimps were ZSG 2W’s. My comanding officer CDR Charles Mills, a wonderful man and two time Harmon Trophy winner, who had 1st hand association with Hugo Eckener. CDR Mills had a lot of interesting stories about the early days of LTA.
Lighter than air aviation was an interesting experienc, to say the least.
Bob Kiefer
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Ray Hoenge Reply:
January 9th, 2010 at 3:42 pm
Is this Bob Kiefer from Sears in Neptune, NJ
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Robert C. Kiefer Reply:
January 11th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
No I have bought of tools from them though.
After I left active duty I spent some time at NARTU and finally stopped going to weekend warrior activies when I started my own business in Houston Texas and have been happily unemployed ever since.
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Reading of aviation activities of so long ago bring to me the dreams I had when i was a very young boy.In 1927 when Charles Lindberg made his transatlantic flight I it was then that I decided that I wanted to become a pilot.I was 4 years old then and the desire to fly never left me.With the start of WW2 I entered the military as a pilot trainee and realized my lifelong dream.I am still facinated by reading stories of the early aviation pioneers
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david helms Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
can you possibly share some things you remember about charles lindbergh with me? also, seems as if you had an interesting military background. would you mind sharing some of those experiences with me and many thanks.
david
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I have a number of first flight covers from those Clipper flights from San Francisco to Manila. Too bad there isn’t one of the many that she must have autographed. She sounds like a lovely person to have known. I imagine my grandfather, who was involved in establishing those Clipper flights, must have known her.
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I received the story of Clara Adams via an email from a friend as we had been talking in general of events between WW1 and WW2 and of some recent published pictures taken by LIFE Magazine in Germany just prior to WW2 and this led to the story of Clara Adams.
She in some ways reminds me of the fictional character ‘Auntie Mame’ due to her obvious strong personality and her aim to be her own woman and flying was her way of achieving this goal.
What a period she lived in and the people she met along the way.
As Robbie Brewington in a previous comment said that we have forgotten how courageous and certainly trailblazing she and other women like Amelia Earhart were.
Who ever would have thought that flying in the Wonder of the day, The Graf Zepplin that the passengers instead of being in Silk and Satins and Full Dress Dinner Suits were in fact freezing with chattering teeth wrapped in blankets but Clara’s description makes it seem as tho we are there living it with her.
She certainly seemed to have lived a very full life and where better for her ashes spread but by an aeroplane over the Oceans of the World.
I sincerly hope her fantastic collection of letters and other memorabilla is being well preserved and displayed as a well deserved tribute to the Amazing Clara Adams.
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AR Reply:
November 11th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Mr. Shannon, while reading some of the comments about Clara Adams I saw your email saying you hoped her things were being well kept. I read recently that all of her writings, postcards, letters, etc. are in the McDermott Library, at the University of Texas in Dallas. I didn’t double check that but the website was legit where I saw it. I saw AMELIA, the movie, this past week and in seeing some of the pictures of Ms Earhart with Clara Adams it is amazing how very much the makeup people made Hilary Swank look like Amelia. I found Clara Adams to be a very interesting woman – she was certainly a brave woman but also a very wealthy widow. Her husband, George Adams was President of several American Leather Tanning Co’s, was 40 years older than Clara and died in 1929 leaving her VERY wealthy. So that is how she was able to take all of the flights she took. AR
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Gordon Shannon Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 4:28 am
Although she was a very wealthy woman changes nothing regarding the way she chose to live her life.
She could have lived at home surrounded by the luxuries of the day,traveling only to vary her daily routine to those places frequented by her ‘Social Set’.
But she didnt and not only did she travel, she documented those travels with great detail and comments that provide us with a window into a time past.
I perhaps worded my comments on the retention of her memoribilia a bit poorly at the University Library, maybe inferring that it could be better.
I apologise if that was the impression I gave as I meant I hope they (the Library) are able to preserve and display them for future generations to see and enjoy the life of Clara Adams.
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AR Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 5:32 am
I didn’t realize that you indeed knew where her papers and memorabilia was when I wrote and that is the ONLY reason I replyed to you, just to let you know where they were and being well taken care of. She was an amazing woman and I loved the way she was able to live her life, as she was doing something she truly enjoyed.
Last night I saw the new documentary at our local Air Museum on the life of Pancho Barnes. While her life was much different than Clara Adams, she was one of best known women in aviation in her time. The documentary premiered in the Los Angeles area and came to the Palm Springs Air Museum by request and one that all we “aviation” people enjoyed….she was a One of a Kind woman and having been around aviation all my life I had been hearing about her for years. She was a “first” in a lot of the early aviation adventures and was a friend of Amelia Earhart’s or possibly I should say they were acquaintances. Pancho’s papers, personal info has been in hiding for over 30 years and everyone thought it was burned when her ranch exploded in fire during a time when the government wanted her land for an addition to Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert. But she feared what might happen to her place so she removed all papers, etc and they were not discovered until after her death. Interesting story and very well done in the documentary. Most of the test pilots I know were in the movie. At least the ones who are still alive, others mentioned as being friends with her such as Jimmie Doolittle whom I had the priviledge of knowing both him and his wife. Not name dropping, just stating that she loved all pilots, especially test pilots.
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Gordon Shannon Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
I was aware of the location of Clara Adams memorabilia as it was mentioned in the articles.
I wasnt aware from the article of just how well it was displayed or stored.
Those women like Amelia Earhart, Pancho Barnes and Australia’s Nancy Bird Walton who only passed away recently were as they say ‘At the Coal Face’ of flying proving that flights could be made over Jungles, mountains, deserts and the vast areas of the world’s Oceans and that women could make those flights.
Clara Adams however took away the image of the knee length Flying Boots, Jodpurs,Googles,Leather Jacket and helmeted Aviatrix and instead wore the ladies fashions of her day and wore them with style showing that Flying had ‘Come of Age’, even if she did near freeze in that unheated canvas walled Zepplin.
The flights Clara Adams traveled on may not have been so dangerous as the first proving flights were but there was still quite a high element of risk present in both the craft and over areas where little was know about the local conditions.
Even today with our far advances in technology since those magnificent Aviatrix’s and Clara Adam’s day , things can and do go wrong but fortunately rarely.
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AR Reply:
November 13th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
I agree with you and admire Clara Adams for the lady she was, truly a lady. It would have been a pleasure knowing her, and even better to have been able to travel with her. AR
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In this age, with women commanding Space Shuttles and serving aboard the International Space Station, it seems so odd and quaint that such a fuss would be made about a woman who simply flew on airplanes and dirigibles. We forget that what is normal for women now would have seemed like outrageous fantasy to the women of only a few decades ago. We forget what courageous trailblazers women like Clara were. Thanks for telling her story!!
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Can anyone tell me when she died and where did she live in Cincinnati?
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Dan (Airships.net) Reply:
August 25th, 2009 at 11:28 am
Clara Adams died in 1971.
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Congratulations on an interesting piece of aviation history. I used to work for a newspaper in Belgium (1960-1992) that published articles she wrote on crossing the atlantic in the Hindenurg, I discovered. I think this was in 1936. In those days one could become famous by merely flying as a passenger!
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Clara Adams was also a relative of mine. She was a cousin from my mother’s side (I am a descendent of Goebel and Grabau). I still have many family photos of the Goebels and Grabaus…one of them taken at the family Christmas dinner here in San Diego, 1953 with Clara. I also have the original photo of Clara at a celebration dinner in New York in honor of Col. Arthur C. Goebel (her cousin) for his successful transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to New York. Most other photos are of the Goebels and Grabaus dating back to early as 1875…and lots of photos related to Art Goebel’s 1927 flight from California to Hawaii.
Thank you for your article and the effort you have made in keeping this history alive. Regards, Richard
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Dr. Albrecht Bodenstein Reply:
September 19th, 2009 at 9:45 am
Hello Richard !
Clara Adams geb. Grabau ist auch eine Verwandte von mir. Sie ist die Tochter von Walter Grabau. Ihre Großeltern waren Ferdinand Graubau und Auguste von Hindenburg. Meine Urgroßmutter war Doris Goedicke geb.Grabau. Die Eltern von Ferdinand und Doris Grabau waren Johann Andreas Christian Grabau und Catharina Grabau geb. Süßkraut,sie hatten insgesamt 8 Kinder. Catharina wird
auch ” Retterin Magdeburgs “genannt, da durch Sie die Eroberung der Festung Magdeburg durch Napoleon im Oktober 1806 verhindert wurde. Liebe Grüße Albrecht
Clara Adams born Grabau is also a relative of mine. She is the daughter of Walter Grabau. Her grandparents were Ferdinand Graubau and Augusta von Hindenburg. My great grandmother was born Doris Goedicke, born Grabau. The parents of Ferdinand and Doris Grabau were Johann Andreas Christian Grabau and Catharina Grabau, born Süßkraut, who had a total of 8 children. Catherina is also the “savior of Magdeburg”, since she prevented the capture of the fortress of Magdeburg by Napoleon in October 1806.
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Greg Goebel Reply:
December 15th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Dr. Albrecht Bodenstein,
I am interested in filling out my family tree and you have added many names that are helpful. Is our family of Grabau’s related to J.A.A. Grabau? There was also a Ferdinand married to Maude Keeler, his father’s name was Christian, do you know if he is related?
Hedwig Grabau was my great grandmother.
Thanks,
Greg Goebel, goebelgreg@hotmail.com
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david helms Reply:
February 5th, 2010 at 7:03 pm
how can i go about getting an original photo of clara adams? thanks for a reply.
david
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Thanks for your comment! About ten years ago, I received a letter from a Robert Prince, who was also related to Clara Adams, but I lost touch with him. Are you related? In any case, thanks for your visiting the site. (How did you find it?) I do have a few other photos of your aunt which I have not posted to the site; let me know if you would like me to email you copies. Best regards, Dan
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Clara Adams was a aunt of mine from my fathers side of the family. She sponsersd my father from Germany in the 20’s. We sat around the table many times hearing her stories of her travels and adventures. She would visit us in N.Y. and share time with her. Thank you for writing the story about my aunt, It was a joy reading it
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Marty Vale Reply:
September 8th, 2009 at 2:30 am
Hi Richard,
I just e-mailed this to Arthur Prince then saw that you are also a family member of Clara’s. My maternal family is from Fulleren, Alsace-Lorraine which is sometimes Germany. I’m very into aviaiton and find it of great interest to run into someone who is connected as I am. When I was a little girl in the 1950’s I wanted to become a stewardess on one of the Clipper Ships. I even got one of the Pan Am hats and pin for Christmas. One day I was looking up at my kites (owned a small kite making business) and wanted to be at the end of the string not on the ground. It was about then that I thought of my childhood dream of flight. I acted on it and now have my license and am moving up the ranks from Sport Pilot to Private.
I admire your aunt. Can understand the point of view to be a passenger but my personality is to hold on to the controls.
Marty Vale
Greater Seattle 99s
September 8th, 2009 at 2:16 am
I just finished reading this website and one on Hugo Eckener, the zepellin pilot on the LZ127 that your aunt flew on from NY to Europe. I am a 99 in Seattle and am preparing to do a presentation about her to our group of lady pilots. I just hosted a fellow 99 woman pilot here in Seattle who broke the world record flying around the world in her small plane (Mooney) in 8 days 12 hours including fueling and sleep. She was so inspiring. I just learned to fly two years ago just before I turned 60 years old and am very active in my aviation community here. Our presentation is to help others fly into Canada (big hurdles since 9/11 even now) and tell of CarolAnn’s flight which was to raise funds for ALS (Lou Gherigs Disease). I’ll do a lead in about Clara and then our next presentation will be in the next few months. Did you know that the 99s were a group of women pilots who joined together in 1929 to help foster the aspirations of women pilots at that time? Ninety nine of the 122 women pilots met in New Jersey and elected Amelia Earhard as their first president. Your aunt was certainly instrumental in creating the desire for commercial aviation. Too bad the accommodation are not the same as they once were but then again the cost is certainly lower. We get there but the getting there is not as leisure. I flew to the east coast in a small 172 two summers ago and it was so much fun. Took a while.
I have an uncle who was a commercial pilot in Texas and lost his life in 1935 flying the governor of Texas. We both have aviation history in our family.
Marty Vale
marlene_vale@hotmail.com
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david helms Reply:
February 6th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
hi. what can you share with me about dr hugo eckener? what a genius he must have been. do you also know where i might get original photos of dr eckener and the early airships? thanks for a reply and congratulations on your amazing longevity.
david
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