Hay, James

From OnAirpower.org

Hay, James

Name: Hay, James Years: 1856-1931 Nationality: American Remarks: Congressman from Viginia who served as Chairman of Committee on Military Affairs prior to World War I and advocated the creation of an independent air service

[edit] Biography

Hay was elected to Congress as a Democrat from Virginia's 7th Congressional District and began serving in Congress in March, 1897^[1].

In May, 1913 Hay introduced legislation to create an Aviation Corps directly under the Chief of Staff and equal to the other branches of the Army. The House Committee on Military Affairs held hearings on the bill for a week in August, and heard testimony from several prominent and soon-to-be prominent airmen, including Capt. Billy Mitchell and 1st Lt. Hap Arnold. Nearly all of the testimony opposed the bill and it was subsequently rewritten to merely provide for an Aviation Section withing the Signal Corps^[2].

[edit] Sources

• Wikipedia entry for James Hay

• Hay, James (1856 - 1931)  at Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

• James Hay and the Preparedness Controversy, 1915-1916 by Herring, George C. Jr., Journal of Southern History, Vol. 30, No. 4 (November 1964)

[edit] References

1. ↑ wikipedia:James_Hay_(politician)
2. ↑ U.S. Air Service in World War I, Vol. II, pg. 3