2022 Bristol CC Deaf History Project on Nellie Zabel Willhite

10/26/2022

Hi, this is Scarlett, thank you for coming on my journey of learning more about this incredible individual. Throughout Nellie’s lifetime, all of the achievements she has received just tell us that any person could do it disability or not. Nellie being a Deaf individual did not stop her at all. She passed away at age ninety-eight on September 2, 1991. and is buried in the Mead family plot at the Yankton City Cemetery.

ADD. “Nellie Zabel Willhite (1892-1991) - Find a Grave...” Find a Grave, 6 Mar. 2013, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106308870/nellie-zabel-willhite.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

10/26/2022

In April 1934, I was working as an official major at Renner air service where I got my commercial pilot’s license. Also during world war II, I worked as a ground-school instructor and inspector of B-19 military aircraft propellers.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

"Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite https://www.sdhspress.com/@-logo/sdshp-logo.jpg "Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" Return To Issue by Clayton F. Smith Download this article for f...

10/26/2022

I was lucky enough to have an appearance in The Blue Book of Aviation in 1932, was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1978, and am a member of the Women’s International Aeronautics Association in 1991.

Klcnce. “Herstories of Deaf Women.” Herstories of Deaf Women/ Nellie Zabel, 12 June 2014, https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/. https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/final-nellie-zabel-bio-.pdf

10/26/2022

The first plane My father bought me was an open-cockpit Alexander Egle Rock OX-5 biplane. I also named this plane after my dad’s nickname “Pard”. Later in my career, I flew the long-wing Alexander Eaglerock. If you want to see my plane it is in the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama. Did you know that my plane is one of only five remaining models?

Hunter, Evelyn. “First Deaf Pilot – Nellie Zabel Willhite - Sign Language Interpreters - ASL Interpreters.” Sign Language Interpreters - ASL Interpreters - Communicating from Coast to Coast, 29 Aug. 2016, https://signlanguageco.com/first-deaf-pilot-nellie-zabel-willhite/.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

10/26/2022

I became one of the charter members of the 99s, the first national organization of licensed Women Pilots [founded in November 1930 with Amelia Earhart as the first president]. And I established the South Dakota chapter in 1941.

Klcnce. “Herstories of Deaf Women.” Herstories of Deaf Women/ Nellie Zabel, 12 June 2014, https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/. https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/final-nellie-zabel-bio-.pdf

10/26/2022

Go check out my “About” section, where I’ve added things like my family members, my education, where I have worked, and my birth name.

10/26/2022

Artwork by Nancy Rourke, a Deaf artist.

Rourke, Nancy. “Nellie Zabel.” Nancy Rourke Paintings - Nellie Zabel, 11 Apr. 2019, https://www.nancyrourke.com/nelliezabel.htm.

10/26/2022

With all of my aviation lessons in I finally received my private pilot’s license in 1930. On January 13th, 1927 I completed thirteen hours of instruction. I became the first licensed woman pilot in South Dakota and the first deaf pilot licensed to fly in the United States! That was such an exciting day.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

"Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite https://www.sdhspress.com/@-logo/sdshp-logo.jpg "Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" Return To Issue by Clayton F. Smith Download this article for f...

10/26/2022

In 1927 I moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Almost all of my weekends I was at Renner Airport watching the airplanes fly. When I was there Harold Tennant told me that if I learned to fly an airplane, I would be the first South Dakota woman to learn to fly! But flying lessons were two hundred dollars. Though Mr. Tennant was willing to pay for me to enter into Dakota Airlines flying school. Mr. Tennant was also my flying teacher.

“Monthly History Article: Read about South Dakota History.”
South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, 2021, https://www.sdhsf.org/news_events/monthly_history_article.html/title/may-2021-south-dakota-s-first-female-pilot-nellie-zabel-willhite.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

Monthly History Article

10/26/2022

My name is Nellie Zabel Willhite. I was born on November 22, 1892, to Lillian madison Zabel and Charles Zabel on the family ranch near Box Elder, Pennington County, South Dakota. In 1899 I caught a case of measles that severely impaired my hearing, so my father enrolled me at the South Dakota School for the Deaf in Sioux Falls. When my father died I became a foster, but I was adopted by Dr. Leonard C. and Dollie Mead of Yankton, they tutored me to read lips.

Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

"Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite https://www.sdhspress.com/@-logo/sdshp-logo.jpg "Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite" Return To Issue by Clayton F. Smith Download this article for f...

10/18/2022

This page was created by Scarlett Thomas

Works Cited:
- Profile picture and cover photo: Weinstein, Dorene. “A Pioneer of Flight.” Nellie Willhite, 2017, https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/nellie-willhite.

sources for posts in order:
- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- “Monthly History Article: Read about South Dakota History.” South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, 2021, https://www.sdhsf.org/news_events/monthly_history_article.html/title/may-2021-south-dakota-s-first-female-pilot-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- Rourke, Nancy. “Nellie Zabel.” Nancy Rourke Paintings - Nellie Zabel, 11 Apr. 2019, https://www.nancyrourke.com/nelliezabel.htm.

- Klcnce. “Herstories of Deaf Women.” Herstories of Deaf Women/ Nellie Zabel, 12 June 2014, https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/. https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/final-nellie-zabel-bio-.pdf

- Hunter, Evelyn. “First Deaf Pilot – Nellie Zabel Willhite - Sign Language Interpreters - ASL Interpreters.” Sign Language Interpreters - ASL Interpreters - Communicating from Coast to Coast, 29 Aug. 2016, https://signlanguageco.com/first-deaf-pilot-nellie-zabel-willhite/.

- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- Klcnce. “Herstories of Deaf Women.” Herstories of Deaf Women/ Nellie Zabel, 12 June 2014, https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/. https://deafwomeninhistory.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/final-nellie-zabel-bio-.pdf

- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.

- ADD. “Nellie Zabel Willhite (1892-1991) - Find a Grave...” Find a Grave, 6 Mar. 2013, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106308870/nellie-zabel-willhite.

- Smith, Clayton F. “‘Dakota Images: Nellie Zabel Willhite.’” South Dakota Historical Society Press, 17 Aug. 2016, https://www.sdhspress.com/journal/south-dakota-history-23-2/dakota-images-nellie-zabel-willhite.