Raymond Orteig

Raymond Orteig (1870 – 6 June 1939) was the New York City hotel owner who offered the Orteig Prize for the first non-stop transatlantic flight between New York City and Paris.

Orteig was born in the south of France, in the village of Louvie-Juzon in southern France in the region of Béarn. After spending part of his childhood looking after his father's sheep in the Pyrenees he emigrated at age 12, arriving in New York City on 13 October 1882 with 13 Francs in his pocket to join an uncle living in New York City. He started working as a bar porter at Wengler's Restaurant on William Street, New York City. Gaining experience he moved on to a position as waiter and then as a maitre'd at Martin Hotel on University Place on Ninth Street. By the time the owner Jean-Baptiste Martin moved uptown in 1902 Orteig was in a position to buy the hotel, which he renamed the Lafayette Hotel. In conjunction with a partner he was also able to lease the rundown Brevoort Hotel on the northeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Eight Street in Greenwich Village). He refurbished the hotel.

The Lafayette became a favourite gathering spot for airmen during and after World War I, where Orteig became acquainted with many airmen including French officers on temporary duty in the United States of America to help the USA build the US Air Force. After the end of the World War I whenever he could he and his family were spending the summer in Louvie-Juzon. This lifelong interest in the region of his birth lead to him expanding his business interests by the purchase of the Henri IV Hotel in Pau.

By his mid fifties Ortieg was in semi-retirement with daily operations at his establishments under the management of his three sons and his business partner Elie Daution. In 1925 the partnership undertook a $200,000 refurbishment of the Brevoort Hotel.

His support of and numerous charitable activities made him a leading figure in New York City's French community. This led to him being made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour.

In 1919 he attended a dinner in New York City organised by the Aero Club of America in early 1919 honouring the American flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker. Many of the speeches involved Franco-American friendship and Rickenbacher had looked forward to the day that the two countries were linked by air. Inspired by Rickenbacher's speech Orteig offered a prize of $25,000 to the first person of any Allied country to fly in one flight in either direction between New York City and Paris. The offer was made in a letter to Alan Ramsay Hawley president of the Aero Club of America on Thursday 22 May 1919. At the time relations were strained between America and France by negotiations at the Paris Peace Conference so as well the encouragement of air travel and the public relations value to his business Orteig hoped that it would assist in a rapprochement between his adopted and native countries. His offer was accepted by the Aero Club who set up a formal structure to administer it. The prize was valid for 5 years.

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