Saturday, January 31, 2026
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Thursday, December 25, 2025
Friday, December 5, 2025
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Saturday, January 20, 2024
Friday, October 13, 2023
Saturday, August 26, 2023
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Monday, August 26, 2019
JACK FRYE Video Bibliography
We have been meaning to do this project for the Jack Frye audience for quite some time. It is now officially completed. The presentation is produced in 5 parts and we are proud to bring it too you. It primarily centers on Jack Frye's professional career and impact on the Airline Industry in America and around the world. Sit back and spend some time in the life of this great man of airline history. We hope you enjoy the series.
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Presidential Metal of Merit, Oct 1, 1947
A day in the life of President Truman, and Jack Frye:
| The President's Day | ||
 |
What do you do in a day? Meet with your boss, employees, clients? Go out to lunch
with friends? Go to the dentist, the grocery store, or school? Come see what
President Truman did every day of his Presidency! Search for a specific day (what
was President Truman doing on your birthday?) or search for a specific person
(how many times did President Truman meet with George Marshall?). President
Truman also met with numerous everyday citizens during the course of his duties--
did he meet with one of your relatives? Search the calendar to find out!
| |
| President Harry S. Truman.Source: Truman Library | ||
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The creation of this online resource was made possible in part by funding from the William T. Kemper Foundation Commerce Bank, Trustee. |
- Return to Truman Library home page
|
Sunday, November 20, 2016
The Frye Humidor
Cigar humidors are not a big deal right? I mean, they are just wooden boxes that house and keep the contents fresh. Well this humidor is different because it belonged to one of Americas greatest pioneers in Airline aviation history. This is Jack Frye's humidor.
Being an airline mogul and very successful business entrepreneur during the golden age of aviation, Jack acquired some very nice personal tastes. As it were he entertained many distinguished high powered people over fine dinners and drink, and this writers favorite - fine cigars.
This photo donated by his daughter Nevajac Frye is Jacks personal cigar humidor that to this day dawns her mantle, a prized possession of her dads belongings. Oh the historical pioneering conversations with key people about the emerging business and the fine Cuban Habana cigars he must have offered during those meetings from this humidor during the glamorous and rapid growth of American aviation, I can only imagine.
Many photos of Jack Frye you will notice, he has cigars in his suit coat pocket, between his lips and clutched with his fingers. If there ever was a person who just looked perfect with a lit cigar, it was Jack Frye.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
TWA Flight 800 Tribute
Today, as we remember the tragic events that struck our family and nation 20 years ago, our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families. Time moves on but their memory and our love for them will not. God Bless the victims and families of TWA 800. At Trans World Airlines, we are a family, now and forever.
Monday, April 11, 2016
New Jack Frye Video on Pathe
40 seconds into this video you will get to see our Pioneer Aviator Jack Frye disembarking the Constellation meeting up with his wife Helen Vanderbilt Frye. A rare treat indeed!
Monday, March 28, 2016
Personality & Character of Jack Frye
Photo courtesy LIFE Magazine
In all of recorded history
there are certain individuals that stand-out as shining stars to me personally and publicly. Since I began this project in 2013, some of them I mention here you may know or
may not. Jesus Christ, Maurice Hall, Jeanne Mesquit, my wife Kelly Johnson, Ronald
Reagan, Mac Mann, Danny Thomas, Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Steve Morse, Dale Earnhardt, and here – Jack Frye.
These are individuals that I
esteem to have exemplified true love and sacrifice for their fellow man, and
have and will leave a legacy of goodness and compassion beyond their years for
which we can rely on when we are looking for a role model with superior
qualities.
Jack Frye is now my most
recent addition to this special list of human beings. May I explore Mr.
Frye’s character and personality traits that have shown me a quality human being?
First of all, I want to
preface this review with this. My number one human being on the list above,
when he walked on the earth that He created, possesses all perfect character
and personality traits any human being could ever attain in life. He is
virtually perfect. All of the rest are sojourners on the path towards His
perfection as best as they and we know how.
Since I decided to tackle the
Jack Frye Blog, even before when I was slowly acquiring data, stories and
photographic memories about him for some years, I began to sense there was
something different, something unusual and special about this man over all
other historical figures that have made a huge impact on society at large, and
individuals for which he came in contact.
The first trait I have sensed
and know to be true is his 'love for of his fellow man’
no matter who they were and how he came in contact. Jack seemed to have
mastered the ability to show compassion in all circumstances. This was probably
ingrained into him at a young age on the ranch in Texas. This is not an easy
trait to acquire later in life. It takes great sacrifice of self to look upon
your fellow man as more important than yourself. Just ask me, I know. This is
demonstrated in a huge way when TWA and other airlines lost the Air-Mail
contracts of the government right in the middle of the new DC-2 contract with
Douglas Aircraft. Jack could have easily cancelled the contract and paid the
fees and moved on but that would have meant hundreds of TWA employees would
have lost their jobs. So what does the compassionate Jack Frye do? He gets on
the phone with Donald Douglas and asks him to hire the effected TWA employees
until he gets the mail contracts back. He also did this with the Wright Engine
company and other vendors in behalf of his employees. It doesn’t end there.
Jack informed his maintenance employees that they could find jobs in Santa
Monica or Patterson New Jersey and TWA would pay for their travel expenses. The
mail contracts did come back and Frye restored the jobs!
Next, Jack is a ‘completely optimistic’ man that
knows no bounds or restraints to exploring new and improved ideas of how to
make life easier for people. He completely excelled with this quality in his
early years on the old airfield when he began to realize people flying in his
airplanes were uncomfortable. Jack got to work and began to provide the
beginning steps towards passenger luxury by 1939. A first in aviation history.
He put himself in the place of his customers to ensure their utmost comfort and
accommodations no matter the cost.
The next character trait I
have realized about Jack Frye is he was able to mingle with the meekest person
all the way up to royalty and Presidents with no sign of tension. He was a
consummate ‘people person’.
Always inquiring with genuine concern how people were doing on the ground and
in the air. He was centrally focused of making sure people were safe and that
their needs were taken care of. In his personal life this trait existed
without restraint as well.
’His smile’ has been reported as ‘infectious’, attractive,
happy and without restriction. I see this in many photographs and just by
reading many historical accounting's of his business and personal life. I also
have had the opportunity to learn about his wonderful human presence from his
daughter in conversations. She has confirmed what I had already sensed about
her dad. In the opposite, I am sure Jack Frye had his moments in board room
meetings and dealing with company employees (Howard Hughes, Noah Dietrich) that
tended to wipe his infectious smile off his face a time or two. Even Jesus
Christ himself got upset and mad without a smile a few times, so I don’t
measure this perfectly human response against Jack in any way. A smiler he
was...
Speaking about better, Jack
possessed a character trait of ‘high
quality’ to the point it didn’t matter what it cost. Quality of
service, safety, schedule and quality of his personal life had no bounds. And I
believe even if he hadn’t been wealthy with resources, Jack Frye would have
still required high quality standards in all facets of his life. Jack went for
the best in life however small or large the decision before him.
In the business world where it
was required Jack get things taken care of and progressing forward in the
highly competitive airline business, he possessed the trait of a ‘powerful and dynamic empire building
magnate’ that was experienced by those around him the minute he stepped
into a room. They knew by his positive integrity and ability to set the
standard that he meant business. He was smart, quick to the draw of making good
business sense and he didn’t hold back.
One of the qualities of Jack
Frye’s personality I have learned and grown to love about him was his ‘ability to dream big’. Jack was
a dreamer, a visionary that had the ability to make them come true. He could
latch onto an idea, work it out and deliver it to a group of business people
and then, take the lead and make it happen. This while occupying the Presidents
seat. He wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty and show others how it’s done.
This occurred many times when he was establishing new air routes where on-time
and fuel issues mattered. His over-weather flying experiments in the Gamma 2D
above the clouds with just a bottle and mask for oxygen demonstrated his
bravado and willingness to take the chances and fulfilling those dreams of
flying smoothly above the clouds. This was a first in aviation history! And
there are many more I cannot list here.
Jack Frye possessed a certain ‘charisma and charm’ for a 6’2”
cigar smoking burley gentleman. He has been described as a gentle giant among
his employees and business partners alike. He also attracted the female side of
life with his charming presence to what some may call his demise. But, Jack was
never an uptight or out of control individual. He had control over his hidden
idiosyncrasies that allowed him to fit in with all walks of life, a character
trait akin to our Lord who demonstrates so perfectly.
If there was ever a man who
wanted to be ‘a father’ it
was Jack Frye. He had lived over 45 years until his first and only child
entered this world, a beautiful daughter he and Emily named Nevajac. He so
dearly loved his daughter in that he tended her every need day in and day out.
Nev has shared with me that her dad was almost like being her mother. This
period of his life made Jack Frye complete in character in every way.
The ‘bravado’ this man possessed and demonstrated quite
frequently is something to behold. It wasn’t a mean spirited bravado, but a
calculated, confident and gentile character trait that caused others to want to
follow.
‘Enthusiasm’ was central to Jack Frye’s character. There can
be no misunderstanding about this trait he possessed. It was infectious like
his smile, it energized his staff, friends and powerful people in high places
so much, he was asked to run for the democratic ticket after Harry Truman! They
honestly saw Jack Frye being the 34th President of the United
States! But even more revealing of Jack’s enthusiasm was his sheer and positive
commitment to leading and expanding the airline industry for all of mankind. He
met this incredible task ahead with great enthusiasm and positive thinking in a
way that no other could have mustered. Charles Lindbergh in my opinion was the
only other aviation hero who could have pulled the airline industry off. In
fact the proof is in the pudding as to our airline industry today. Flawed and
tainted as it may be, it was Jack Frye’s early innovative ideas filled with
this unquenchable enthusiasm that lead the way in airline aviation. Who knows
what he would have accomplished if he had the full support he needed back in
the 40’s.
The ‘patriotism’ Jack Frye displayed as a civilian cannot be
measured in normal terms. It was off the chart during WWII. As TWA President in
1940, he actually saw the need for his airline fleet to be handed over to the
Army Air Corps to support our troops and cargo transportation to Europe. This
he knew before it was mandated by the Air Corps. Because he had had meetings
with the commanding generals prior to this eventuality in that he told them he
would let the 307 Stratoliners go to the government to help out . And then the
Boeing Constellation. This was before any other airline company even thought of
such a gesture. Jack Frye was eventually awarded the Presidential Metal of
Merit in 1947 for patriotic duty in the war effort by Harry Truman, and the
Italian Cross of Valor.
Jack had the ability to make
bold decisions in the face of adversity and the unknown. I suppose this would
be characterized as a 'confident see'er' of the future. In
religious terms of old, a prophet. People often consider this character trait as
arrogance or blind ambition. This would be the negative approach to
understanding. But since we can now clearly see Jack Frye's many successes, it
can only be deduced that he knew exactly what he was doing when making the many
difficult decisions about his company. There are articles that have recorded
Jack giving speeches to the aircraft industry and investors alike to fill the
skies with 'millions' of airplanes, not thousands, millions! On the surface
this may seem outlandish and unneeded, but if we hypothesize this into
reality, can you imagine how aircraft travel would effect us today? Heck, there
would be systems and support in place for the neighbor or even ourselves to be
able walk out the front door, jump into our plane and go shopping. The price of
air travel would be drastically reduced from the enormous presence and
competition in the industry.
We often take for granted 'citizenship'
in our community. Jack was constantly involved with the local citizenry
wherever he traveled, including his many home towns across the country.
If there were improvements he could take care of, he did. If someone needed help
starting a small town business, or needed transportation, he took care of it
without repayment. There are many stories of Jack's help he freely awarded to
people and businesses across the country. A dutiful citizen he was.
One of the most important
character traits anyone can possess is 'trustworthiness'. Jack
displayed this trait through his reliability, his doing what he said he was
going to do and having the courage to do the right thing time after time. He
was extremely loyal to his company of over 17,000 employees by 1947. He was
married four times which might suggest some of his trustworthiness faded a bit,
only he and his family can honestly address this part of his life. But from
what I know he was a dedicated husband to all of his wives and provided the
best for them.
Jack Frye was a very 'fair'
man. He was able to weigh circumstances and work out whatever needed to
happen so all parties were satisfied. He wasn't a president or a human being
that tried to take advantage for the sake of destroying the other party. He loved
open competition and overcoming it, but with a certain fairness being part of
the mix. Howard Hughes on the other hand was quite the opposite and we don't
need to delve into that here but to say, if you stand them side by side, Jack
Frye wins in the area of fairness hands down.
The character trait of being 'responsible'
was paramountly present in Jack Frye's life. This is obvious. In his
personal life from what I know, he provided and cared for his wives deeply, he
loved his wive's as any good responsible husband would. Each one of them for
whatever reason lasted 8-10 years, enough time to invest a lot of emotional
support and responsibility for the relationships. Professionally, he always put
out 110% this we know. That's responsible. He was self disciplined, he always
thought things through before he acted, he knew the consequences. And he was
accountable for his words and actions before his staff and professional
colleagues. And finally he always set an example for his employees and peers.
Smartly dressed, poised, respectful, great attitude and ready to serve, Jack
Frye was one of the most responsible aviation leaders the world has ever seen.
Finally, Jack Frye was 'genuine'.
He had no pretense of being artificial or phony in any way. What you saw was what
you got. But along with this, he displayed this golden trait to his fellow man
which legitimizes his genuineness for all to see. There was no hidden agenda
about Jack Frye. He had no reason to do so as he was a man of action and
responsibility, and accountable. People aren't measured by the mass of things
they do or acquire in life. But by their legacy and genuine personality that
sets them apart from others. A man could have done all the things Jack Frye
accomplished yet with a non-genuine personality, he would have been left with a
horrible legacy. Jack was a complete and positively genuine personality many
strive for but never attain.
There is more to speak about
Jack Frye's personality and character. But at this point I think this covers
the subject quite well, and its all true in this writers opinion.
I hope you know a little more
about the man, the business mogul, the aviator, the leader of 17,000 employees,
the husband, and the father – Jack Frye.
Eric Johnson
Creator/Owner
Jack Frye Aviation Pioneer
blog
2016
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Heinz Hero Pilot
A set of Famous Airplane cards was also offered of which the Douglas DC-2 aircraft Jack Frye being pivotal in conceiving was included. Interestingly it too is numbered as 19. Below are two versions.
Friday, December 25, 2015
Merry Christmas 2015
Burdett Fuller - Jack Frye 1925
Where it all began for JACK FRYE... This image is shared from the Robert Casey collection, grandson of Burdett Fuller. We at the Jack Frye blog wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Fly safe...
Wednesday, December 2, 2015
The Wive's of Jack Frye
Until recently, all that I
have ever known is that Jack had three wives. Debbie Santos
Greer, Helen Varner Vanderbilt and, Emily Nevada Smith. Then, I came across a newspaper clipping
of another wife – Regine LaCoste as described below. To get to know a little bit more
about our pioneer aviator and his family life, I would like to share with you
what I know about each of Jacks beautiful wives in order to get a sense of his
history in this respect. Though I do not have all the facts as of this writing,
we hope you find this presentation insightful and interesting.
Generally, famous
personalities are the focal point of the reading and viewing public that often
overshadow their significant other. This especially holds true during the
industrial age of America when many industries were on the rise literally
changing the scope and features of our great land, and the world. These pioneering men including Jack Frye shaped this great land and are given all the
credit. Unfortunately, the women and children behind them were for the
most part ‘just there’ in the background, never receiving their due for
enduring and supporting their men out front. With that said, I will attempt to
bring these ladies in Jacks life into the forefront. And I hope this comes
across very respectful to you the reader who may be a relative or acquaintance.
DEBBIE SANTOS GREER FRYE Jack and Debbie were married September 4,
1924 in Tijuana Mexico. Their marriage lasted 8 years during Jacks youthful
years in Southern California with Aero Corporation and Standard Airlines,eventual subsidiaries of Western Air Express, the predecessor to TWA. These
were history making formative years for the young couple as Jack, Paul Richter
and Walter Hamilton trail blazed new paths into airline history. Jack and
Debbie never had children that I am aware of. Debbie was a great cheerleader
and co-worker with her husband during the formative years of his airline
operations at Burdett Field and others. She is known to have performed many
supportive tasks around the airport grounds planning and coordinating activities
for the flying school, parties for dignitaries and promoting Aero Corp and
Standard Airlines in Southern California. Debbie was an early aviation pioneer
in her own right that helped her husband immensely towards the advancement of
airline growth on the west coast. After Jack and Debbie parted ways, she moved
to Hawaii where she remained a sun and sea loving resident.
click images to enlarge
Jack and Debbie Frye, 1924
REGINE LaCOSTE' FRYE Jack and Regine (they called her Jean)
were married December 23, 1932 and divorced on September 9, 1939. It is said
they met at Sak’s Fifth Avenue, New York City. They also did not have any
children. Regine was born of French descent in Canada. I can only assume she
supported her husband during the incredible DC aircraft years and Jacks formative
years as TWA’s first president. These must have been exciting, whirlwind times
when the early airline industry was at full speed. I am positive many
groundbreaking ‘firsts’ in airline travel and development were talked over at
the Frye dinner table between Regine and Jack. I can imagine many dinner
parties for dignitaries and business associates in the Frye homes by this time.
Wouldn’t you liked to have been a fly on the wall!
After much searching I was
able to track down Jack and Regine’s marriage application no. 18271. It was
documented in the town of Ravena in Clay County Missouri. The spelling of
Jack’s new fiancé is recorded as ‘Regine Y. LaCoste’. The date on the
application is December 23, 1932. It also states that Jack took an oath that he
was 31 years old or older. Well, we know he was born in 1904 which in 1932
would actually make him only 28 years old. Why the difference of 3 years? My
initial thought is he wanted to appear older to Regine, his new wife to be who
was 29 by her oath. A kind of ‘manly’ thing in those days maybe? This is only
conjecture on my part.
Above is the only image I have
of Jack and Regine from a San Francisco Tribune newspaper clipping from 1938
showing Jack and Regine LaCoste Frye arriving at the airport on one of Jacks
west coast business trips.
HELEN VARNER VANDERBILT
FRYE Jack and Helen were married
January 1, 1941 in Scottsdale Arizona. Their marriage lasted 9 years ending in
divorce January 27, 1950. The couple had no children, something by this time in
Jacks life he greatly desired. From what I understand Helen was biologically
unable to have children. Jack and Helen's marriage and relationship is very well
documented on the ‘Sedona Legend’ website. Helen
was married to Cornelius Vanderbilt IV, his third wife of seven prior to marrying Jack. Helen and Jack were
deeply in love with each other and the southwest Arizona landscape where they
developed a few large revenue producing ranches. And they loved the arts and
architecture where they were able to build the now famous, House of Apache Fires home in Sedona Arizona. This became they’re retreat home from the east
coast where they resided. In fact, the Frye’s were the pioneers in opening up
Sedona to the public as a beautiful getaway oasis in the desert. Today it is
now known as the Red Rock State Park in the southwest of Sedona. The most
picturesque area of the park.
By this time the Frye’s were a
very well publicized corporate couple. This period of Jack Frye’s professional
life included many more firsts in the airline industry. Some of them included
development of the very first pressurized aircraft cabin to fly comfortably
above the clouds. The aircraft was called the Boeing Stratoliner. The
development of the first bonifide Trans-Oceanic passenger plane called the
Constellation which set the standard for long range air travel. By 1947, Jack
resigned from TWA after 13 history making years as its president. He then
became the president and CEO of the huge International firm, General Aniline and Film Corp, losing his many TWA offices and resources for travel which
enabled the Frye’s to easily relocate between their properties week by week.
These later years were a tumultuous time for the Frye’s for both Helen and
Jack. This fairytale relationship ended when Jack and Helen could not agree
where to live together. As an industrialist with General Aniline, Jack had to
be on the east coast for business. And Helen wouldn’t leave the beautiful
Sedona landscape where she felt free and committed to the southwest...
Jack and Helen Frye, 1941
EMILY NEVADA SMITH FRYE Jack and Emily were married on July 21,
1950 in Hollywood Florida just under one month after Jacks divorce from Helen
was final. How did they meet? Jack obviously had an eye for glamorous women
hence his prior three beautiful wives, and probably met Emily at one of her
shows. Emily Nevada was 24 years old, a successful and gorgeous showgirl at
Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe in NY City and played roles in movies such as
‘The Harvey Girls’ & ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ during the 40’s. Ethel Merman was
one of her closest friends. Emily was stunningly beautiful, one of the best in
her field and at one point was written about in the newspaper columns on a
daily basis. Walter Winchell, the noted
NY Times columnist had been quoted as saying, “In 1944 Nevada was the most
photographed showgirl in the country”.
Emily Nevada Smith, 1947
Photo courtesy Michelle Gerardo
Cousin Emily and Jack were
married for 9 years until his tragic death in 1959. It has been reported that
in the beginning Emily was a gold-digger looking for her millionaire man. To
some degree this is true. What dreams did any showgirl have for their future in
front of men? Do you really think all of them wanted to perform near nude every
night for the rest of their lives? This assumption is false in the case of
Emily as at the young age of 32 after losing her husband, Emily never pursued
or had any other boyfriends or relationships with any man for the entirety of
her life. Emily deeply loved Jack and never got over her loss. One of the very
bright spots in Emily and Jacks life together occurred when they were blessed
with a bundle of joy, a daughter, an heir to the Jack Frye legacy. Lili Navajac
Frye was born May 9, 1953 into the open and joyous arms of her mother and
father. Jack was finally a new father at age 49, and boy did he love his new
role. When Nevajac and mother Emily lost Jack on that tragic day in Tucson
Arizona, their world literally fell apart. Nevajac was a toddler of 6 years,
but to this day she has vivid memories of her dad flying and driving her all
over the country in his airplanes and Cadillac's. Jack loved his daughter so very
much, he personally took care of her every need including having her present in
high powered board meetings bringing him his pen and paper looking sweet. After
the accident Emily began a world traveling jet-set lifestyle of extravagance.
This was all about running away from the grief for she never was able to
resolve losing Jack. Sadly in 1985, Emily succumbed to her life’s end the night
before she was to come live with her daughter and family. A complete shock to
the Frye, Smith and Johnson families, and more in his extended family I am not
aware of.
Jack and Emily Frye, 1950
This brief summary ends what I
know about Jack Frye’s wives for 35 years of married life. As more facts and
cleared stories emerge, I will update this and other posts.
An obvious question to the
married life aspect of Jack Frye’s personal life is, why did he wait until he
was 49 years old to have a child? Here are a few of my thought’s, none of them
are confirmed though with a little imagination and some real life circumstances
he encountered in life, they are probably not far off the trail.
During Jacks formative years
with Aero Corp and Standard Airlines, I get an impression he and Debbie (wife
no.1) were young lovers in their early 20’s experiencing what any new and first
time lover’s experience. A sense of new and exciting horizons were being
realized the very first time in their young married lives. Jacks love of flying
and airplanes I am sure was his priority without a doubt. After all, he came to
California from Texas flat broke wanting to learn to fly more than anything
else. He would not be deterred even at earning only $25 a week at the drugstore
prior to him receiving his first pilot’s license. Once he caught the vision, a
new dream of owning his own flying company, then I am quite positive this and
only this was his priority in life and that his new bride was somewhat
secondary. Now was she able to have children? Let’s assume she could. The new
airline company and his complete love of flying just didn’t have room for Jack
to be a consistent father and husband at home in my opinion. Heck Jack was out
on the plains of the southwest forging new airline routes and having new
airstrips carved into the landscape. He was head deep in building an empire and
an airline, one of the first in the country. Who has time for kids... If your
relationship is peppered with other priorities than your family, well it
becomes a live-in friendship, not a marriage, and you slowly drift apart before
you know what happened. I can easily understand the couple just didn’t have
room for children even how fulfilling the love of a new little one could have
made both Jack and Debbie complete.
So, onto Regine, Jacks second
wife for seven years. Obviously this is a beautiful couple with new corporate
attachment duties soon to be bestowed upon Jack. Just 2 years into their
marriage, Jack Frye is appointed as the first and youngest flying President of
TWA, a milestone in airline history. Could Regine biologically have children? Let’s
again assume she could. If she couldn’t then all of my work here is useless!
Ok, Jack just from a failed marriage where he didn’t have time to devote to a
newborn in the house is flying all over the country for hours and days on end,
and probably weeks on the road. How is it possible to raise a child? Now maybe
Regine being beautiful and of an independent mind just didn’t want children
herself. This is very plausible as she was of such a fine character and
beautiful, she could have taken care of herself in all manner of luxury whether
with Jack or another. On the other hand, Jack had already experienced
incredible time schedule issues with ‘the business’ in his prior marriage and
could have easily transferred those priorities over to marriage #2 without
realizing it. Or maybe he purposely did know what he was doing and began having
a vision to where later in life he could fully enjoy a tike running around the
house while retired. Jack is 35 years old now, in the prime of his fathering
years, but he has a company to run...
Third wife Helen and Jack
marry in 1941. I don’t know if Jack was aware of the following fact or not
prior to him marrying Helen. I would assume he did. Helen was unable to
biologically have children. They tried three times as reported from another
source. If he was aware of her biological birthing issues, then one can only assume
he loved Helen very much and realized she being of her stature, beauty and
notoriety was definitely a plus to be his mate and for his corporate purposes.
Jack and Helen both were by this time worldwide figures of public notoriety in
the corporate world. Did they speak about adopting? Probably but my mind as a
man tells me that Jack all along his timeline of life since becoming his own
man wanted a blood heir that he would be proud of and be able to finally feel
he did the right thing by becoming a real father as God intended. I am positive
Jack had many thoughts about being a dad while flying alone somewhere over the
country and glistening oceans by himself wondering, will I ever be a father?
There is speculation that when Helen and Jack were unable to work out their
differences on living locations as a couple – Jack in New York, Helen in Sedona
Arizona, Helen let her man slip away. Underneath that it is said she let him go
on purpose so he could remarry and finally have a child. That would have been very
honorable of her, but at the risk of losing her true love? Seems kind of odd to
me. I can only assume she had other interests also underneath her breakup with
Jack Frye.
Emily Nevada and Jack Frye
were married in under 30 days after Jack and Helen’s divorce was final in 1950.
Below is Jack and Emily’s application for their marriage license dated July 17,
1950.
By now you can tell
I have written more about Emily and Jack than the prior wives. Let’s just say
that I am in an interesting position here able to speak from the outside as an
aviation history hobbyist, and from the inside as a family member who loves my
family heritage. While developing the Jack Frye blog space acquiring all the
materials about Jack and Emily the last ten years, talking to dad about Emily
and aunt Lillian and Emily’s father George ‘Buck’ Smith, and having a
relationship with Jacks only child, his blood heir, cousin Nevajac Frye, I am
completely honored and feel very responsible too maintaining and promoting the
Jack Frye Legacy. This without effecting my family and God knows, they have
seen and experienced all the hours and miles traveled to come to this point of
the historical journey. Nevertheless, I can now proudly say – Jack Frye finally
became a father! So, the original question was, “Why did Jack Frye wait so long
to have a child?” You know it’s still a good question. In an attempt to put
some validity to this question, I hope you can follow along and understand my
caricatures.
While Helen and Jack drifted
further and further apart, Jack was probably dating other women to the point he
knew he wanted to marry again. Being on top of the world financially and
professionally having friends in high places throughout industry and
government, why did he have three failed marriages? He had all the property one
could ever dream of owning with tens if not hundreds of thousands of acres of
land all across the country and abroad. He had oil wells, offshore accounts,
insurance policies, stocks and bonds, a portfolio to die for. He was a pioneer
aviator of high esteem, he had great looks and all kinds of new ideas about new
aircraft designs and companies he was ready to start breaking ground on. What
else could a man want? ‘That’s right, A child’. The business mogul Jack Frye by
the time he was 42 years old had an empty spot in his incredible life that had
to be filled. You see, even with all of the accolades and success, sometimes a
man must have blood kin if he desires any sort of completeness in his life.
Even after all of his great inventions and business successes he was not
complete and he knew it.
One of the things we know
about Jack Frye is he was dearly loved by his thousands of employees. He was a
gentle soft spoken man tall in stature but humble in spirit with an infectious
personality and smile. Sounds like a complete and fulfilled man right? Emily
Nevada was in her own right equally successful as a beautiful and talented
showgirl who Jack met at a show somewhere, and he was smitten. The 29 year old
beauty 17 years his younger was just who he wanted to finally have his child. A
young and attractive lady succumbed to her loving husbands desires and bore him
a child at age 32. Here is another thought Jack might have had alone to himself
though I cannot prove, nor disprove. An aviator who flew as much as Jack did
professionally and leisurely for over 35 years accumulating tens of thousands
of flight hours, narrowly escaping so many flying mishaps, some even close to
death must have known his time clock was ticking. I am not an aviator but I am
getting older realizing my clock is ticking as well. Imagine being of sound
mind knowing something is going to happen out of your control that suddenly
ends your life. Jack was fully aware of the constant danger of equipment failure
in the sky. If I were in Jacks pilot seat I would most definitely wish to have
a child of my own as soon as possible. Three years after Emily and Jack married;
Lili Nevajac Frye came into Jacks world! – Finally, Jack Frye, the Aviators
aviator has an heir, a beautiful daughter.
Jack and
Emily Frye, 1952 Nevajac Frye, 1961
Today, Jack Frye’s only heir,
Nevajac Frye resides with her daughter Brieana Frye and her grandsons, ‘Jax
Frye’ and 'Jett Truman' (cool names), great grandsons of Jack Frye. Other living grandchildren of
Jacks are Morgan and JT Frye.
Jack Frye Aviation Pioneer
blog
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)