orig. Edward Rickenbacher
born Oct. 8, 1890, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
died July 23, 1973, Zürich, Switz.
U.S. World War I ace and industrialist.
He developed an early interest in automobiles, and by the time the U.S. entered the war in 1917 he was one of the country's top racing drivers. He began army service as a driver and soon became a fighter pilot. For shooting down 26 enemy airplanes in World War I, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. He later founded and directed his own automobile company, and from 1932 he was an executive with several airlines. As president of Eastern Air Lines from 1938 to 1959, he oversaw its growth into a major corporation.