Clement Melville Keys

Clement Melville Keys (April 7, 1876 – January 12, 1952) was a financier who helped create many important aviation companies. He played a key role in starting companies such as Curtiss-Wright, China National Aviation Corporation, North American Aviation, and TWA. Because of his big influence on the early days of airplane travel, he is often called "the father of commercial aviation in America." His work helped make air travel possible for many people around the world.

Biography

Clement Melville Keys was born on April 7, 1876, in Chatsworth, Ontario. He studied classics at the University of Toronto and later worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal. In 1911, he started his own investment firm called C.M. Keys & Company.

Keys was very important in the early days of aviation. He helped create several big airplane companies, including Curtiss-Wright, China National Aviation Corporation, North American Aviation, and TWA. In 1924, he gave money to start a new airline called National Air Transport. He also helped start airlines in other parts of the world.

Keys stopped working in aviation in 1932 because of health problems. He kept his investment business and later returned to aviation after World War II, helping to start Peruvian International Airways in 1947. He died at his home in New York City on January 12, 1952.