On September 14, 1925, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker led a delegation to the White House to invite President Calvin Coolidge to the Pulitzer Trophy Race at Mitchel Field on Long Island, scheduled for October 10. The group arrived in Washington by airplane, and Rickenbacker presented Coolidge with an unusually fitting invitation: a small model airplane bearing the request of the National Aeronautic Association’s leaders.
Rickenbacker was already one of the nation’s best-known aviators. During World War I, he became America’s leading fighter ace, credited with 26 aerial victories. By 1925, his celebrity gave him an influential public role in promoting the excitement, prestige, and possibilities of flight.
The invitation came during a formative period for American aviation, when air races drew national attention to aircraft performance and pilots’ skill. The Pulitzer Trophy competition was among the era’s most prominent aviation events, linking public spectacle, technological competition, and the growing cultural importance of airpower.
Image: Captain Eddie Rickenbacker and a delegation present an invitation to President Calvin Coolidge, September 14, 1925. Via the Library of Congress; no known restrictions.
