William A. Wellman

William Wellman
William Wellman during filming of The High and the Mighty, 1954
Born	(1896-02-29)February 29, 1896 Brookline, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	December 9, 1975(1975-12-09) (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Director, actor
Years active	1919–1958
Spouse(s)	Helene Chadwick (1918–1923, divorce) Margery Chapin (1925–1926, divorce) Marjorie Crawford (1931–1933, divorce) Dorothy Coonan (1934–1975, his death)

William Augustus Wellman (February 29, 1896 – December 9, 1975) was an American film director notable for his work in crime, adventure and action genre films, often focusing on aviation themes, a particular passion. He also directed several well-regarded satirical comedies. Beginning his film career as an actor, he went on to direct over 80 films, at times co-credited as producer and consultant. In 1927, Wellman directed Wings, which became the first film to win an Academy Award for Best Picture at the 1st Academy Awards ceremony.

Wellman's father, Arthur Gouverneur Wellman, was a New England Brahmin of English-Welsh-Scottish and Irish descent. William was a great-great-great-great-great-grandson of Puritan Thomas Wellman who immigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony about 1640. William was a great-great-great grandson of Francis Lewis of New York, one of the signatories to the Declaration of Independence. His much beloved mother was an Irish immigrant named Cecilia McCarthy.

Wellman was expelled from Newton High School in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts, for dropping a stink bomb on the principal's head. Ironically, his mother was a probation officer who was asked to address Congress on the subject of juvenile delinquency. Wellman worked as a salesman and then at a lumber yard, before ending up playing professional ice hockey, which is where he was first seen by Douglas Fairbanks, who suggested that with Wellman's good looks he could become a film actor.