OBAP Founders
Thirty-eight African American pilots and aviation industry pioneers, representing nearly 50% of the worldwide minority-pilot population, convened in Chicago in 1976 to address the apparent lack of diversity and inclusion in the airline industry.
We honor these founders, who, facing danger in multiple wars, and the weight of gender inequality and strained race relations, held an unwavering commitment to their careers and the mission of OBAP. Their courage and determination in the face of adversity are at the very foundation of our organization’s legacy.
Stanley M. Allen
Don E. Barton
Howard L. Baugh
James E. Betts
Charles E. Black
Frederick I. Boone Jr.
James A. Brannen
William Brown
Willis N. Brown Jr.
Solomon Cates
Sidney L. Clark Jr.
Bennie Clay
Charles A. Davis
James L. Edwards
Simon P. Gaskill
John Gordon
James H. Green
David E. Harris
Harold C. Heard Jr.
Frank B. Jones
Alexander Lambert
James E. Lee III
Charles S. Mack
Edward Moon
Joseph Moore
Pickney Mosely Jr.
George W. Nixon
Jack Noel
William R. Norwood
Oscar Perry
William C. Rand
Richard E. Roundtree
Herman O. Samuels
Robert E. Smith
J. Georges "Paco" Sulmers
Barry Taylor
Benjamin F. Thomas
R. Ricardo Youngblood


Organization of
Black Aerospace Professionals
is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
19 Mantua Rd.
Mt. Royal NJ 08061