Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 24, 2024 20:58:20 GMT 12
From The Press, 20th of September 1975:
Chch woman remembers Amelia Earhart
A report in "The Press” last week about the Zonta Club of Christchurch raising funds for an Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award reminded a Christchurch woman, Miss Alice Fraser, of her meeting with Miss Earhart, the pioneer airwoman, in 1929. This was one year after Miss Earhart had become the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic and eight years before she was to disappear during an attempt to fly around the world.
Miss Fraser, who is now 83, had been sent to the United States by the Child Welfare Department to do a course of study in mental testing and occupational therapy for children. During the six months she was in America Miss Fraser spent three months in New York; staying at the Halls of Residence of Columbia University.
It was here that she met Miss Earhart who was in great demand at the time to speak to students and women’s groups. Denison House, where Miss Fraser and Miss Earhart were staying, held regular projects for the poorer children of New York and held English classes for immigrants. Miss Earhart took part in these and was apparently a very enthusiastic participant.
Miss Fraser said that New York abounded with women’s clubs at that time and in fact Miss Earhart was a member of the Zonta Club of Boston and later of the New York City club.
The memories of her friendship with Amelia Earhart have been kept alive over the years by an autographed copy of Miss Earhart’s book. "20 hrs 40 mins.; Our Flight in the Friendship.” In it Miss Fraser has pasted newspaper clippings of the pilot's world flight, her disappearance and the subsequent search for Miss Earhart and her navigator, Frederick J. Noonan.
Many theories surround the mysterious disappearance of the aircraft somewhere; between New Guinea and the Marshall Islands. Miss Fraser believes the theory that the Japanese were implicated in some way.
“Her mother, whom I had met at Denison House, corresponded with me when I returned to New Zealand. She told me that soon after I had left America Amelia had been deep sea diving for the American Navy,” Miss Fraser said. ‘‘l believe she was captured and killed by the Japanese because she knew too much.”
SPYING THEORY
It was known that the Japanese had fortified the Marshall Islands in readiness for the war and it was suggested that Miss Earhart and Mr Noonan saw too much. Miss Earhart was believed to have died of dysentery while being held captive. It has even been suggested that Miss Earhart was actually on a spying mission for the United States Government but this has not been substantiated. Sightings of graves and bones were reported over the years but the reports were not substantiated.
The last people to see Miss Earhart alive were in Darwin, her last stop before she disappeared. From Darwin she was going to make her way to New Zealand where she was to be met by Miss Fraser. According To Miss Fraser, Amelia Earhart was a charming woman with a wonderful personality. At the time she knew her she was working in journalism as well as participating in her other part-time activities.
CHALLENGES
“She was honoured with 12 others as being one of America’s finest aviation engineers but no-one made a fuss about her being a woman. “They just accepted her and acclaimed her as a fine aviator.”
However, Miss Earhart did comment once on the achievements of women, how they should strive for them and regard them as challenges. The Zonta Club’s fellowships are awarded every year for science graduates to study advanced aerospace sciences. This year, for the first time, a New Zealand club contributed the full amount for an award. This is only the second time in the history of Zonta International which founded the fellowships in 1938, that a club has done so. The award for which the Christchurch club raised funds went to Dr Judith Day.
Chch woman remembers Amelia Earhart
A report in "The Press” last week about the Zonta Club of Christchurch raising funds for an Amelia Earhart Fellowship Award reminded a Christchurch woman, Miss Alice Fraser, of her meeting with Miss Earhart, the pioneer airwoman, in 1929. This was one year after Miss Earhart had become the first woman to make a solo flight across the Atlantic and eight years before she was to disappear during an attempt to fly around the world.
Miss Fraser, who is now 83, had been sent to the United States by the Child Welfare Department to do a course of study in mental testing and occupational therapy for children. During the six months she was in America Miss Fraser spent three months in New York; staying at the Halls of Residence of Columbia University.
It was here that she met Miss Earhart who was in great demand at the time to speak to students and women’s groups. Denison House, where Miss Fraser and Miss Earhart were staying, held regular projects for the poorer children of New York and held English classes for immigrants. Miss Earhart took part in these and was apparently a very enthusiastic participant.
Miss Fraser said that New York abounded with women’s clubs at that time and in fact Miss Earhart was a member of the Zonta Club of Boston and later of the New York City club.
The memories of her friendship with Amelia Earhart have been kept alive over the years by an autographed copy of Miss Earhart’s book. "20 hrs 40 mins.; Our Flight in the Friendship.” In it Miss Fraser has pasted newspaper clippings of the pilot's world flight, her disappearance and the subsequent search for Miss Earhart and her navigator, Frederick J. Noonan.
Many theories surround the mysterious disappearance of the aircraft somewhere; between New Guinea and the Marshall Islands. Miss Fraser believes the theory that the Japanese were implicated in some way.
“Her mother, whom I had met at Denison House, corresponded with me when I returned to New Zealand. She told me that soon after I had left America Amelia had been deep sea diving for the American Navy,” Miss Fraser said. ‘‘l believe she was captured and killed by the Japanese because she knew too much.”
SPYING THEORY
It was known that the Japanese had fortified the Marshall Islands in readiness for the war and it was suggested that Miss Earhart and Mr Noonan saw too much. Miss Earhart was believed to have died of dysentery while being held captive. It has even been suggested that Miss Earhart was actually on a spying mission for the United States Government but this has not been substantiated. Sightings of graves and bones were reported over the years but the reports were not substantiated.
The last people to see Miss Earhart alive were in Darwin, her last stop before she disappeared. From Darwin she was going to make her way to New Zealand where she was to be met by Miss Fraser. According To Miss Fraser, Amelia Earhart was a charming woman with a wonderful personality. At the time she knew her she was working in journalism as well as participating in her other part-time activities.
CHALLENGES
“She was honoured with 12 others as being one of America’s finest aviation engineers but no-one made a fuss about her being a woman. “They just accepted her and acclaimed her as a fine aviator.”
However, Miss Earhart did comment once on the achievements of women, how they should strive for them and regard them as challenges. The Zonta Club’s fellowships are awarded every year for science graduates to study advanced aerospace sciences. This year, for the first time, a New Zealand club contributed the full amount for an award. This is only the second time in the history of Zonta International which founded the fellowships in 1938, that a club has done so. The award for which the Christchurch club raised funds went to Dr Judith Day.
