bio courtesy of Richard Cass, Jun 2013:
Harding Luther Lawrence (July 15, 1920-February 16, 2002) was the former Chairman of Braniff International Airways, the flamboyant Dallas, Texas, based carrier known for high fashion flight attendant uniforms, exemplary inflight service, and brightly and imaginative painted planes. Lawrence was revolutionary in that in 1965 he approved the End of the Plain Plane Campaign which called for imaginative aircraft paint schemes, interiors and never before seen passenger service comforts.
In early 1965 a very studious and dashing young man was seen all over the Braniff International operation at Dallas Love Field. He had pen and paper in hand and appeared to be watching the bustling Braniff schedule with a keen intensity and specific interest. Everyone wondered who this person was and what was his interest in Braniff.
They would soon find out he was their new President and his name was Harding L. Lawrence. Lawrence, born in Perkins, Oklahoma on July 15, 1920, had been hired by insurance magnate Troy V. Post, Chairman of Greatamerica Corporation, to turn Braniff into a world class global airline. Its interesting to note that Braniff co-founder Thomas Elmer Braniff was also an insurance magnate and now the second major owner of Braniff was as well.
Harding Lawrence grew up in Gladewater, Texas. His father, Muncey Luther Lawrence (Nov. 15, 1988-March 12,1954) was a school teacher and a Minister of the Christian Church and his Mother, Helen Beatrice Langley Lawrence (Dec. 6, 1897-Nov. 23, 1968) ran the Gladwater Hotel. Mr. Lawrence was very close to both of his parents and looked after them throughout their lives. Even with Lawrence's great success it was beyond his ability to get his Mother to retire and move into a new luxurious home he had built for her in Dallas. She operated the hotel until her death in the late 1960s.
Mr. Lawrence attended Gladwater High School but left with a less than a stellar academic record but did graduate two years early. He then attended Kilgore Junior College. Here he found his place and his grades earned him membership in an academic honors group. Young Lawrence entered the US Army Air Corps for two years during World War II and trained with RAAF in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Canada, and with LAAF at Sheppard Field and Bryan, Texas. He served in Toronto, Canada and served at LAAF Base Unit in Lemoore, Calif. Lawrence had planned to attend the University of Texas at Austin but instead was hired by a flight school in Terrell, Texas in 1942. World War II had just broken out and the civilian school had procured a US Government contract to train British pilots.
Lawrence's duties included that of Link Trainer Instructor. His abilities were quickly noticed by school officials and he was elevated into a number of high positions eventually being placed in charge of the school's Maintenance Department. Lawrence remained with the school until 1944 when one of the school administrators offered him a job with a small commuter carrier based in Houston, Texas, called Essair. Essair would eventually become Pioneer Airlines and then merge with Continental Airlines on April 1, 1955.
The merger with Continental would put Harding Lawrence directly under the mentoring of famed Continental President Robert F. Six. Robert Forman Six (June 24, 1907-Oct. 6, 1986) was CEO of Continental for an unprecedented 45 years from 1936 until 1981. Under Six tutelage Lawrence honed his remarkable airline administration skills. Bob Six was quoted as saying "one of the biggest reasons we merged with Pioneer was to get Harding." Lawrence, at the merger in 1955, was made Continental's Vice President of Traffic. He was quickly elevated to Executive Vice President in 1958. He remained in this position until 1965 when he became President of Braniff International. During Lawrence's ten year tenure at Continental the airline grew an unheard of 500 percent.
While in Houston, Mr. Lawrence attended South Texas College of Law and received his LLB in 1949. He attended school at night while working at Pioneer during the day. Clearly the Law was not to have Harding Lawrence as the excitement of flight was deeply engrained in his psyche.
Lawrence engineered one of the most remarkable airline overhauls during his 16 years with Braniff. As a result of his forward thinking Braniff is still on the tip of the tongue of American Pop Culture to this day and from all indications will remain. Mr. Lawrence retired on January 31, 1980, after a long battle to save Braniff from the throes of deregulation exacerbated by a national economic downturn and unprecedented rises in fuel costs.
Throughout Lawrence's tenure Braniff achieved record revenues, profits and traffic as detailed in month after month of Braniff B Liner Employee Newsletters. Under Lawrence's Administration Braniff revenues grew from 100 million USD in 1965 to over 1.5 billion USD in 1980 and nearly doubled it share passenger market share. Even during 1980 Braniff continued to set record traffic levels and revenues.
Mr. Lawrence remained retired but consulted for Pan Am at the request of his old friend Ed Acker in the early 1980s. Acker was Executive Vice President and President of Braniff from 1965 until 1975 and became Chairman of Pan Am in 1981. Lawrence worked at Wells Rich Greene Advertising alongside his wife during the 1980s. Mary Wells Lawrence sold her advertising firm Wells Rich Greene in 1990. The Lawrence's enjoyed retirement during the 1990s and bought and sold real estate as a side line.
Harding Luther Lawrence died at the age of 81 on January 16, 2002. He had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death at his home Mustique, St. Vincent, West Indies. Mr. Lawrence was preceded in death by a son Harding L. Lawrence, Jr, in 1945. He is survived by his wife Mary Wells Lawrence, a son State R. Lawrence of Greenwich, Connecticut, another son James B. Lawrence of Mystic, Connecticut and three daughters Deborah M. Lawrence of New York City, NY, Kathy Bryan of Red Bank, New Jersey and Pamela Lombard of Geneva, Switzerland. At the time of his death Mr. Lawrence was the grandfather of seven grandchildren.
Harding Luther Lawrence (July 15, 1920-February 16, 2002) was the former Chairman of Braniff International Airways, the flamboyant Dallas, Texas, based carrier known for high fashion flight attendant uniforms, exemplary inflight service, and brightly and imaginative painted planes. Lawrence was revolutionary in that in 1965 he approved the End of the Plain Plane Campaign which called for imaginative aircraft paint schemes, interiors and never before seen passenger service comforts.
In early 1965 a very studious and dashing young man was seen all over the Braniff International operation at Dallas Love Field. He had pen and paper in hand and appeared to be watching the bustling Braniff schedule with a keen intensity and specific interest. Everyone wondered who this person was and what was his interest in Braniff.
They would soon find out he was their new President and his name was Harding L. Lawrence. Lawrence, born in Perkins, Oklahoma on July 15, 1920, had been hired by insurance magnate Troy V. Post, Chairman of Greatamerica Corporation, to turn Braniff into a world class global airline. Its interesting to note that Braniff co-founder Thomas Elmer Braniff was also an insurance magnate and now the second major owner of Braniff was as well.
Harding Lawrence grew up in Gladewater, Texas. His father, Muncey Luther Lawrence (Nov. 15, 1988-March 12,1954) was a school teacher and a Minister of the Christian Church and his Mother, Helen Beatrice Langley Lawrence (Dec. 6, 1897-Nov. 23, 1968) ran the Gladwater Hotel. Mr. Lawrence was very close to both of his parents and looked after them throughout their lives. Even with Lawrence's great success it was beyond his ability to get his Mother to retire and move into a new luxurious home he had built for her in Dallas. She operated the hotel until her death in the late 1960s.
Mr. Lawrence attended Gladwater High School but left with a less than a stellar academic record but did graduate two years early. He then attended Kilgore Junior College. Here he found his place and his grades earned him membership in an academic honors group. Young Lawrence entered the US Army Air Corps for two years during World War II and trained with RAAF in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Canada, and with LAAF at Sheppard Field and Bryan, Texas. He served in Toronto, Canada and served at LAAF Base Unit in Lemoore, Calif. Lawrence had planned to attend the University of Texas at Austin but instead was hired by a flight school in Terrell, Texas in 1942. World War II had just broken out and the civilian school had procured a US Government contract to train British pilots.
Lawrence's duties included that of Link Trainer Instructor. His abilities were quickly noticed by school officials and he was elevated into a number of high positions eventually being placed in charge of the school's Maintenance Department. Lawrence remained with the school until 1944 when one of the school administrators offered him a job with a small commuter carrier based in Houston, Texas, called Essair. Essair would eventually become Pioneer Airlines and then merge with Continental Airlines on April 1, 1955.
The merger with Continental would put Harding Lawrence directly under the mentoring of famed Continental President Robert F. Six. Robert Forman Six (June 24, 1907-Oct. 6, 1986) was CEO of Continental for an unprecedented 45 years from 1936 until 1981. Under Six tutelage Lawrence honed his remarkable airline administration skills. Bob Six was quoted as saying "one of the biggest reasons we merged with Pioneer was to get Harding." Lawrence, at the merger in 1955, was made Continental's Vice President of Traffic. He was quickly elevated to Executive Vice President in 1958. He remained in this position until 1965 when he became President of Braniff International. During Lawrence's ten year tenure at Continental the airline grew an unheard of 500 percent.
While in Houston, Mr. Lawrence attended South Texas College of Law and received his LLB in 1949. He attended school at night while working at Pioneer during the day. Clearly the Law was not to have Harding Lawrence as the excitement of flight was deeply engrained in his psyche.
Lawrence engineered one of the most remarkable airline overhauls during his 16 years with Braniff. As a result of his forward thinking Braniff is still on the tip of the tongue of American Pop Culture to this day and from all indications will remain. Mr. Lawrence retired on January 31, 1980, after a long battle to save Braniff from the throes of deregulation exacerbated by a national economic downturn and unprecedented rises in fuel costs.
Throughout Lawrence's tenure Braniff achieved record revenues, profits and traffic as detailed in month after month of Braniff B Liner Employee Newsletters. Under Lawrence's Administration Braniff revenues grew from 100 million USD in 1965 to over 1.5 billion USD in 1980 and nearly doubled it share passenger market share. Even during 1980 Braniff continued to set record traffic levels and revenues.
Mr. Lawrence remained retired but consulted for Pan Am at the request of his old friend Ed Acker in the early 1980s. Acker was Executive Vice President and President of Braniff from 1965 until 1975 and became Chairman of Pan Am in 1981. Lawrence worked at Wells Rich Greene Advertising alongside his wife during the 1980s. Mary Wells Lawrence sold her advertising firm Wells Rich Greene in 1990. The Lawrence's enjoyed retirement during the 1990s and bought and sold real estate as a side line.
Harding Luther Lawrence died at the age of 81 on January 16, 2002. He had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death at his home Mustique, St. Vincent, West Indies. Mr. Lawrence was preceded in death by a son Harding L. Lawrence, Jr, in 1945. He is survived by his wife Mary Wells Lawrence, a son State R. Lawrence of Greenwich, Connecticut, another son James B. Lawrence of Mystic, Connecticut and three daughters Deborah M. Lawrence of New York City, NY, Kathy Bryan of Red Bank, New Jersey and Pamela Lombard of Geneva, Switzerland. At the time of his death Mr. Lawrence was the grandfather of seven grandchildren.
bio courtesy of Richard Cass, Jun 2013:
Harding Luther Lawrence (July 15, 1920-February 16, 2002) was the former Chairman of Braniff International Airways, the flamboyant Dallas, Texas, based carrier known for high fashion flight attendant uniforms, exemplary inflight service, and brightly and imaginative painted planes. Lawrence was revolutionary in that in 1965 he approved the End of the Plain Plane Campaign which called for imaginative aircraft paint schemes, interiors and never before seen passenger service comforts.
In early 1965 a very studious and dashing young man was seen all over the Braniff International operation at Dallas Love Field. He had pen and paper in hand and appeared to be watching the bustling Braniff schedule with a keen intensity and specific interest. Everyone wondered who this person was and what was his interest in Braniff.
They would soon find out he was their new President and his name was Harding L. Lawrence. Lawrence, born in Perkins, Oklahoma on July 15, 1920, had been hired by insurance magnate Troy V. Post, Chairman of Greatamerica Corporation, to turn Braniff into a world class global airline. Its interesting to note that Braniff co-founder Thomas Elmer Braniff was also an insurance magnate and now the second major owner of Braniff was as well.
Harding Lawrence grew up in Gladewater, Texas. His father, Muncey Luther Lawrence (Nov. 15, 1988-March 12,1954) was a school teacher and a Minister of the Christian Church and his Mother, Helen Beatrice Langley Lawrence (Dec. 6, 1897-Nov. 23, 1968) ran the Gladwater Hotel. Mr. Lawrence was very close to both of his parents and looked after them throughout their lives. Even with Lawrence's great success it was beyond his ability to get his Mother to retire and move into a new luxurious home he had built for her in Dallas. She operated the hotel until her death in the late 1960s.
Mr. Lawrence attended Gladwater High School but left with a less than a stellar academic record but did graduate two years early. He then attended Kilgore Junior College. Here he found his place and his grades earned him membership in an academic honors group. Young Lawrence entered the US Army Air Corps for two years during World War II and trained with RAAF in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Canada, and with LAAF at Sheppard Field and Bryan, Texas. He served in Toronto, Canada and served at LAAF Base Unit in Lemoore, Calif. Lawrence had planned to attend the University of Texas at Austin but instead was hired by a flight school in Terrell, Texas in 1942. World War II had just broken out and the civilian school had procured a US Government contract to train British pilots.
Lawrence's duties included that of Link Trainer Instructor. His abilities were quickly noticed by school officials and he was elevated into a number of high positions eventually being placed in charge of the school's Maintenance Department. Lawrence remained with the school until 1944 when one of the school administrators offered him a job with a small commuter carrier based in Houston, Texas, called Essair. Essair would eventually become Pioneer Airlines and then merge with Continental Airlines on April 1, 1955.
The merger with Continental would put Harding Lawrence directly under the mentoring of famed Continental President Robert F. Six. Robert Forman Six (June 24, 1907-Oct. 6, 1986) was CEO of Continental for an unprecedented 45 years from 1936 until 1981. Under Six tutelage Lawrence honed his remarkable airline administration skills. Bob Six was quoted as saying "one of the biggest reasons we merged with Pioneer was to get Harding." Lawrence, at the merger in 1955, was made Continental's Vice President of Traffic. He was quickly elevated to Executive Vice President in 1958. He remained in this position until 1965 when he became President of Braniff International. During Lawrence's ten year tenure at Continental the airline grew an unheard of 500 percent.
While in Houston, Mr. Lawrence attended South Texas College of Law and received his LLB in 1949. He attended school at night while working at Pioneer during the day. Clearly the Law was not to have Harding Lawrence as the excitement of flight was deeply engrained in his psyche.
Lawrence engineered one of the most remarkable airline overhauls during his 16 years with Braniff. As a result of his forward thinking Braniff is still on the tip of the tongue of American Pop Culture to this day and from all indications will remain. Mr. Lawrence retired on January 31, 1980, after a long battle to save Braniff from the throes of deregulation exacerbated by a national economic downturn and unprecedented rises in fuel costs.
Throughout Lawrence's tenure Braniff achieved record revenues, profits and traffic as detailed in month after month of Braniff B Liner Employee Newsletters. Under Lawrence's Administration Braniff revenues grew from 100 million USD in 1965 to over 1.5 billion USD in 1980 and nearly doubled it share passenger market share. Even during 1980 Braniff continued to set record traffic levels and revenues.
Mr. Lawrence remained retired but consulted for Pan Am at the request of his old friend Ed Acker in the early 1980s. Acker was Executive Vice President and President of Braniff from 1965 until 1975 and became Chairman of Pan Am in 1981. Lawrence worked at Wells Rich Greene Advertising alongside his wife during the 1980s. Mary Wells Lawrence sold her advertising firm Wells Rich Greene in 1990. The Lawrence's enjoyed retirement during the 1990s and bought and sold real estate as a side line.
Harding Luther Lawrence died at the age of 81 on January 16, 2002. He had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death at his home Mustique, St. Vincent, West Indies. Mr. Lawrence was preceded in death by a son Harding L. Lawrence, Jr, in 1945. He is survived by his wife Mary Wells Lawrence, a son State R. Lawrence of Greenwich, Connecticut, another son James B. Lawrence of Mystic, Connecticut and three daughters Deborah M. Lawrence of New York City, NY, Kathy Bryan of Red Bank, New Jersey and Pamela Lombard of Geneva, Switzerland. At the time of his death Mr. Lawrence was the grandfather of seven grandchildren.
Harding Luther Lawrence (July 15, 1920-February 16, 2002) was the former Chairman of Braniff International Airways, the flamboyant Dallas, Texas, based carrier known for high fashion flight attendant uniforms, exemplary inflight service, and brightly and imaginative painted planes. Lawrence was revolutionary in that in 1965 he approved the End of the Plain Plane Campaign which called for imaginative aircraft paint schemes, interiors and never before seen passenger service comforts.
In early 1965 a very studious and dashing young man was seen all over the Braniff International operation at Dallas Love Field. He had pen and paper in hand and appeared to be watching the bustling Braniff schedule with a keen intensity and specific interest. Everyone wondered who this person was and what was his interest in Braniff.
They would soon find out he was their new President and his name was Harding L. Lawrence. Lawrence, born in Perkins, Oklahoma on July 15, 1920, had been hired by insurance magnate Troy V. Post, Chairman of Greatamerica Corporation, to turn Braniff into a world class global airline. Its interesting to note that Braniff co-founder Thomas Elmer Braniff was also an insurance magnate and now the second major owner of Braniff was as well.
Harding Lawrence grew up in Gladewater, Texas. His father, Muncey Luther Lawrence (Nov. 15, 1988-March 12,1954) was a school teacher and a Minister of the Christian Church and his Mother, Helen Beatrice Langley Lawrence (Dec. 6, 1897-Nov. 23, 1968) ran the Gladwater Hotel. Mr. Lawrence was very close to both of his parents and looked after them throughout their lives. Even with Lawrence's great success it was beyond his ability to get his Mother to retire and move into a new luxurious home he had built for her in Dallas. She operated the hotel until her death in the late 1960s.
Mr. Lawrence attended Gladwater High School but left with a less than a stellar academic record but did graduate two years early. He then attended Kilgore Junior College. Here he found his place and his grades earned him membership in an academic honors group. Young Lawrence entered the US Army Air Corps for two years during World War II and trained with RAAF in Dallas, Texas and Toronto, Canada, and with LAAF at Sheppard Field and Bryan, Texas. He served in Toronto, Canada and served at LAAF Base Unit in Lemoore, Calif. Lawrence had planned to attend the University of Texas at Austin but instead was hired by a flight school in Terrell, Texas in 1942. World War II had just broken out and the civilian school had procured a US Government contract to train British pilots.
Lawrence's duties included that of Link Trainer Instructor. His abilities were quickly noticed by school officials and he was elevated into a number of high positions eventually being placed in charge of the school's Maintenance Department. Lawrence remained with the school until 1944 when one of the school administrators offered him a job with a small commuter carrier based in Houston, Texas, called Essair. Essair would eventually become Pioneer Airlines and then merge with Continental Airlines on April 1, 1955.
The merger with Continental would put Harding Lawrence directly under the mentoring of famed Continental President Robert F. Six. Robert Forman Six (June 24, 1907-Oct. 6, 1986) was CEO of Continental for an unprecedented 45 years from 1936 until 1981. Under Six tutelage Lawrence honed his remarkable airline administration skills. Bob Six was quoted as saying "one of the biggest reasons we merged with Pioneer was to get Harding." Lawrence, at the merger in 1955, was made Continental's Vice President of Traffic. He was quickly elevated to Executive Vice President in 1958. He remained in this position until 1965 when he became President of Braniff International. During Lawrence's ten year tenure at Continental the airline grew an unheard of 500 percent.
While in Houston, Mr. Lawrence attended South Texas College of Law and received his LLB in 1949. He attended school at night while working at Pioneer during the day. Clearly the Law was not to have Harding Lawrence as the excitement of flight was deeply engrained in his psyche.
Lawrence engineered one of the most remarkable airline overhauls during his 16 years with Braniff. As a result of his forward thinking Braniff is still on the tip of the tongue of American Pop Culture to this day and from all indications will remain. Mr. Lawrence retired on January 31, 1980, after a long battle to save Braniff from the throes of deregulation exacerbated by a national economic downturn and unprecedented rises in fuel costs.
Throughout Lawrence's tenure Braniff achieved record revenues, profits and traffic as detailed in month after month of Braniff B Liner Employee Newsletters. Under Lawrence's Administration Braniff revenues grew from 100 million USD in 1965 to over 1.5 billion USD in 1980 and nearly doubled it share passenger market share. Even during 1980 Braniff continued to set record traffic levels and revenues.
Mr. Lawrence remained retired but consulted for Pan Am at the request of his old friend Ed Acker in the early 1980s. Acker was Executive Vice President and President of Braniff from 1965 until 1975 and became Chairman of Pan Am in 1981. Lawrence worked at Wells Rich Greene Advertising alongside his wife during the 1980s. Mary Wells Lawrence sold her advertising firm Wells Rich Greene in 1990. The Lawrence's enjoyed retirement during the 1990s and bought and sold real estate as a side line.
Harding Luther Lawrence died at the age of 81 on January 16, 2002. He had succumbed to pancreatic cancer. He was surrounded by his family at the time of his death at his home Mustique, St. Vincent, West Indies. Mr. Lawrence was preceded in death by a son Harding L. Lawrence, Jr, in 1945. He is survived by his wife Mary Wells Lawrence, a son State R. Lawrence of Greenwich, Connecticut, another son James B. Lawrence of Mystic, Connecticut and three daughters Deborah M. Lawrence of New York City, NY, Kathy Bryan of Red Bank, New Jersey and Pamela Lombard of Geneva, Switzerland. At the time of his death Mr. Lawrence was the grandfather of seven grandchildren.
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