Mildred Alice Doran was a Canadian pilot who was the only woman to enter the Dole Air Race in 1927, created to be the first to fly from California to Hawaii. During the race, she and several other competitors disappeared.
Early life and education
Doran was born in Ontario to a Canadian father, William Doran, a farmer, and American mother, Minnie Doran. She was raised in Flint, Michigan. Her father was from Canada and her mother, who was born in Michigan, died in about 1922 when she was 16. She raised her younger sister, Helen, and had brothers William and Floyd. Doran worked her way through high school as a telephone operator, continuing to do so after her graduation in 1924. A local businessman and owner of the Lincoln Petroleum Company, William Malloska, heard about her and paid for her to attend a teacher's course at Michigan State Normal School. She got interested in flying at a local airshow while she was in college. By the time of the race she was about 22 years old and working as a fifth-grade school teacher in Caro, Michigan. While in college, Doran became a member of Alpha Sigma Tau.
The air-race
Doran convinced Malloska to enter an airplane in the DoleAir Race and to allow her to fly along. The plane, a biplane Buhl Airsedan, was named the Miss Doran in her honour. The pilot was John 'Auggy' Pedlar and the navigator was Vilas Knope. Because of the attitudes of the day, Doran was popular for interviews with the press. It was considered strange for a woman to take part. She was quoted as saying “A woman should fly just as easily as a man.… Women certainly have the courage and tenacity required for long flights.” Doran wanted to be the first woman to make such an ocean flight. She had been on long overland flights with the crew before. Despite engine trouble early in the race, and attempts by the crew and crowd to get her to remain behind, Doran stayed with the plane. However, although other planes arrived in Hawaii, nothing was heard from the Miss Doran or her crew again. There was a search by the Army and Navy, and also a competitor's plane which then also went missing after joining the search. James Dole offered $20,000 to find the missing planes. Malloska added $10,000 to find his friend and the others. Hearst also added a reward. There were many tributes after her death. Ontario, Canada named a lake in her honour and Doran Tower was put up beside Lincoln Field in Flint. The tower was destroyed in 1973 because the owner could no longer afford the taxes.
