Patrice Washington

Patrice Washington (born 1961) is a Bahamian airplane pilot, whose career was marked by a series of firsts. She was the first black woman graduate of Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida; first woman pilot of Bahamasair; first black woman captain of a major U.S. air service and first black female pilot hired by the United Parcel Service.

Patrice Francise Clarke was born on 11 September 1961 in Nassau, The Bahamas^[1] to Peggy Ann and Nathaniel Clarke.^[2] From the age of five, when she took her first flight, Clarke was interested in aviation.^[3] Raised by a single, divorced mother, along with her two sisters, Clarke learned responsibility at a young age.^[4] During her high schooling in Nassau she participated in career week activities hoping to become a stewardess,^[1][5] by the time she graduated, she had dreams of becoming a pilot. In 1979, intent on her goal, Clarke enrolled in the Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University of Daytona Beach, Florida, despite the fact that she was the only black student and spoke only Bahamian Creole.^[4] In April 1982, Clarke graduated as the first black woman in the school's history with a BS in aeronautical science and her commercial pilot's certification.^[1]

Soon after her graduation, Clarke began working at a charter company, Trans Island Airways, in the Bahamas, as a pilot. She continued her studies and was able to earn her qualifications to fly Boeing 737 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft over the next few years. In 1984, Clarke became the first woman pilot of Bahamasair,^[6] when she was hired as a First Officer by the air service. Though often facing discrimination Clark persevered^[7] and in 1988, she was hired by United Parcel Service (UPS) as a flight engineer.^[1] Her three-person crew flew routes from Louisville, Kentucky to Anchorage, Alaska, as well as to Australia and Cologne, Germany. In 1990, Washington was promoted to First Officer with UPS.^[3]

In 1994, Clarke married Ray Washington, a pilot for American Airlines.^[1][4] In December 1994, she was promoted to captain by UPS, becoming the first black female, and one of only eleven female captains, to command planes for a major U.S. airline.^[8][9]

In 1995, Washington and other female pilots founded the Bessie Coleman Foundation^[9] with the purpose of preserving Coleman's legacy, promoting the aviation profession among African American men and women, and providing a network for mentoring women in the airline sector.^[10] In 2000, Washington was presented with the Trumpet Award from Turner Broadcasting for her pioneering work in aviation on behalf of women.^[8]

• Patrice Washington on Smithsonian Online Virtual Archives