Clifford Ball (aviation)
| Cliff Ball | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Clifford Ball November 29, 1891 Banksville, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 1972 (aged 80) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Heart failure |
| Resting place | Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | "Cliff" |
| Occupation | Airline operator |
| Known for | Ball Air Lines |
| Spouse(s) | Helen Marie Stinner |
| Children | Barbara Ball |
| Parent(s) | Thomas Ball Charlotte Ann Burrows |
Clifford Ball (November 29, 1891 – June 2, 1972) was a farmer, soldier, bookkeeper, clerk, automobile dealer, airplane dealer, airline owner, airline operator, airline executive, radio manufacturer, Civil Air Patrol officer and chaplain, and aviation pioneer.
Cliff was born November 29, 1891 in Banksville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. He was one of ten children born to Thomas Ball and Charlotte Ann Burrows. Both of his parents and three of his siblings emigrated from England to the US in 1879. Cliff graduated from McKeesport High School in 1910. Cliff spent time working at his father's supply company delivering coal, operating a hoist, shoveling sand and gravel, and dispatching trucks making $90 a month. During this time his father was taking money out of his paycheck and setting it aside for Cliff. Cliff also worked as a clerk for a bank, and an insurance company. Cliff continued his education by taking evening courses at Duquesne University and business courses at Duffs Iron City College. Cliff joined the Aero Club of Pittsburgh when he was 18 years old.
Known siblings of Cliff are: Edward (1874–1937), Rachel (1876–1907), Sarah (1877–1941), Arthur (1879–1972), Charlotte (1881–1901), Bertha (1884–1971), and Chauncy Albert (1895–1946).
His first air minded friend was Madame Alice Zeno. Madame Zeno was one of the early aeronauts to entertain crowds at fairs and other events at Calhoun Park (now Lincoln Place) in Pittsburgh between 1890 and 1909. She would hang from a trapeze suspended from a parachute attached to the bottom of a hot air balloon. Madame Zeno would ride the balloon to a height a few thousand feet above the crowd and then release the parachute from the balloon. Zeno would then ride the wind back to the earth. The first child to locate her landing spot would be rewarded with a quarter and Cliff was one of the children that often collected on that reward.
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