Nine years before Amelia Earhart took her first flight, a man from Sunbury Pa was building, and flying, planes over Northumberland and Snyder County Pa. He was the first pilot to ever do so. Local factories closed down, as people lined the streets to see the "bird man" fly over Selinsgrove.
Today we are accustomed to airplanes flying overhead all throughout the day. But in 1911, just 8 years after the Wright Brothers first flight, they were not common at all. As a matter of fact, before 1911, an airplane had never flown in the skies over Northumberland and Snyder Counties. So when Emory Conrad Malick flew his biplane over Shamokin, it was the first a plane ever seen in that area. Two years later, during the summer of 1914, planes were still such a novelty that when Malick flew over the town of Selinsgrove, factories were temporarily shut down to witness the novelty. Emory was flying a Curtiss pusher, an engine powered biplane, which he had assembled himself. On August 31 he flew over Rolling Green Park as well, making him the very first pilot to fly over Northumberland County, and also the first to fly over Snyder County.
The Mount Caramel Item
July 25 1911
(Seven Points is an area between Sunbury and Trevorton PA)
Emory Conrad Malick was Sunbury's first aviator. He earned his international pilots license on March 20 1912, while attending the Curtiss School Of Aviation in San Diego. Born on Dec 29 1881 in Seven Points PA, he moved to Sunbury in 1887. His childhood home, built by his father, still stands on Catawissa Avenue in Sunbury. Emory worked with his father, a carpenter, installing mahogany veneer in the dining and sleeping cars for the Pennsylvania Railroad in Harrisburg. And in his spare time, he built airplanes. He first built his own gliders, which he flew across the Susquehanna River to his job on Cattie Weiser’s farm.
The Sunbury Daily Item, Feb 2011
On July 24, 1911, Malick made his first recorded flight in an engine-powered “aeroplane,” which took place in Seven Points. Later that year he flew his biplane over Shamokin for a labor day celebration. and two years later in 1914 he flew his Curtiss Pusher biplane over Rolling Green Park and downtown Selinsgrove. The entire town turned out to witness this amazing spectacle. Malick was the first pilot to ever fly over Northumberland and Snyder Counties.
By Aug. 30, William M. Schnure’s “Chronology of Selinsgrove” mentions that Malick
made several flights over Penns Creek . On the 31st the entry reads: "A new epoch in local history. Bi-plane completely circles Selinsgrove and outskirts to the wonderment of all. Factories temporarily shut down to witness the novelty. Flyer returns to camp site successfully."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
September 12 1914
The chronology of Selinsgrove by William Schnure mentions the wreck on page 126, "Local aviator wrecks biplane in the high tension line north of town, escapes injury, but wrecks machine completely and paralyzes trolley and local factories for almost an hour."
Later that year Malik crashed again, but this time his passenger died. (The cause of that crash is unknown.)
At a flying club banquet in 1928, Malick displayed the 60 horsepower engine that powered his 1914 flight over Selinsgrove. He had stored it in his fathers basement. The Sunbury Daily Item reported on the event, saying, "Mr Malick, the son of C. Darius Malick, of Catawissa aventue, came to Sunbury by train to attend the dedication of the local airport, but was not called up last night, although he was probably the one deserving the highest honor.....The Sunbury native is one of the real pioneers of aviation and boasts of 3,000 flying hours, ranking him among the foremost of the country."
Was Malick The First Black Man To Receive A Pilots License?
Descendant Mary Grose discovered a box of photos from her Aunts attic, with photos and clippings about her brother Emory Malick. Mary believed the photos showed Emory to be a black man. An article in the 2013 Daily Item states that he came from a "mixed race ancestry". As his mother had died when he was young, and several of the children were adopted out, Mary believed this was the family secret her father wanted left hidden. She began a campaign to have Malick recognized as the first black man to receive a pilots license. Read more here - http://www.emoryconradmalick.com/hero.html
On February 5th 2011, The Smithsonian Air Space Magazine Published an article titles "The Unrecognized First", about Malick. This prompted Guy E Franklin to do some research, and he wrote a book entitled Emory Conrad Malick: A Closer Look. In this book Guy methodically outlines the case that Emory was actually white. He even included research on Emory's membership in the Odd Fellow's (an organization limited to white members at this time). In a review of the book on Amazon, one commentor writes:
The Selinsgrove Times Tribune
September 17th 1914
A story by Mary Groce, a relative who is writing a book about Malick, adds this amusing anecdote:
"Before passing out and being rushed to Dr. Decker’s office, he glanced up and saw a wide-eyed first-grader gaping in awe at the vision: Emory lying crumpled on the dirt road, caught in a tangle of wood, metal, wheels, wires, twisted, torn fabric, and billows of black smoke.
“Little boy, what’s your name?” croaked Emory. “You look like you could be my nephew Wilfred!
Little Will was already gone. He didn’t stop running until he was safe inside his own kitchen.
“Mama! Mama!” he panted. “There was a man…on the ground…I think he fell out of the sky…and he knew my name!”
“Well, Will,” his mother replied slowly, measuring each word. “That would have been my brother Emory. He’s your uncle. Now wash up for lunch.” http://www.emoryconradmalick.com/mary.html
“Little boy, what’s your name?” croaked Emory. “You look like you could be my nephew Wilfred!
Little Will was already gone. He didn’t stop running until he was safe inside his own kitchen.
“Mama! Mama!” he panted. “There was a man…on the ground…I think he fell out of the sky…and he knew my name!”
“Well, Will,” his mother replied slowly, measuring each word. “That would have been my brother Emory. He’s your uncle. Now wash up for lunch.” http://www.emoryconradmalick.com/mary.html
Malick had moved to Philadelphia sometime around 1910, but returned to his hometown often. In Philadelphia he transported passengers for his Flying Dutchman Air Service. He also worked in aerial photography with the Aero Service Corporation and Dallin Aerial Surveys. He was also an airplane mechanic, as well as a carpenter and master tile-layer.
In 1928, Malik crashed twice. The first time, at a Camden NJ Air show, Malick had two passengers aboard his Waco three seater, when the engine died. Malick banked left to avoid spectators, the wind caught the aircraft, and the Waco crashed. “The entire plane seemed to crumple as if it had been smitten by the fist of a giant,”
reported a Sunbury newspaper. The two passengers were injured, but survived.Later that year Malik crashed again, but this time his passenger died. (The cause of that crash is unknown.)
Shamokin News Dispatch 1928
Was Malick The First Black Man To Receive A Pilots License?
On February 5th 2011, The Smithsonian Air Space Magazine Published an article titles "The Unrecognized First", about Malick. This prompted Guy E Franklin to do some research, and he wrote a book entitled Emory Conrad Malick: A Closer Look. In this book Guy methodically outlines the case that Emory was actually white. He even included research on Emory's membership in the Odd Fellow's (an organization limited to white members at this time). In a review of the book on Amazon, one commentor writes:
"Emory Conrad Malick is my 3rd cousin 5x removed. I am thrilled you have written this book because it verifies all my research on Malick. I have found NO conclusive evidence that Malick was anything but Caucasian. I have verified this thru extensive genealogical research thru all branches of the family tree. All census records, marriage, death and draft information lists him as white. I do have clippings of him that verifies his identity and race...."
Family members who have done DNA tests say they show no African American ancestry.
Grose continues to believe he was the first black aviator to receive a pilots license. You can read her rebuttal in the comments section of this post.
I have no idea which researcher is correct.
Lebanon Courier and Semi-Weekly Report, 02 Aug 1912
The first Pennsylvania man licensed as an aviator appears to have been James B. McCalley, listed in the above article,
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Interesting article! I enjoyed it very much, except for your assumption that I was wrong to claim that Emory Malick was African American. He and his paternal aunt, Alice Malick, were both black. They were members of a mixed family, most of whom passed as white (and several of whom, including his sister, my grandmother, shunned Emory for being born black). In Pennsylvania at that time, all members of mixed families were usually listed as white in the census. And yes, J. B. McCalley did indeed earn his FAI license at the Curtiss School of Aviation along with Malick. McCalley was #94 and Malick was #105 (I never claimed otherwise). The two of them flew in airshows together in 1912, the same year they earned their licenses. Thank you for sharing Mr. Malick's story! He's been hidden from history for too many years. Please feel free to contact me (EmoryConradMalick.com, MaryGroce.com, MsMaryGroce@aol.com, and my Facebook page, Emory Conrad Malick).
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