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The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Onita Topping Thorley Personal Papers
SDASM.SC.0097
SDASM.SC.0097
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Table of contents
Title: Onita Thorley Topping Personal Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.0097
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
0.21 Cubic feet
one box 15”x 2.5”x 10”
Date (inclusive): 1931-1939
Abstract: Onita Thorley Topping, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Thorley of Cedar City, UT, was a popular and noted pilot of the
1930s. She learned to fly at the Von Hoffman School of Aviation at Lambert Field in St. Louis, MO. Onita earned her pilot’s
license in 1930, her commercial rating in 1931, and subsequently secured a rating as Master Mechanic.
Conditions Governing Access note
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
The materials in this Collection were donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum
Library & Archives”]
Onita Thorley Topping, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Thorley of Cedar City, UT, was a popular and noted pilot of the
1930s. She learned to fly at the Von Hoffman School of Aviation at Lambert Field in St. Louis, MO. Onita earned her pilot’s
license in 1930, her commercial rating in 1931, and subsequently secured a rating as Master Mechanic.
In addition to being one of Utah’s only female pilots of the era, Onita participated in one of the most important air events
of the west coast; the 1935 Women’s Championship Air Races and Pacific Air Pageant for the Shell Trophy. The derby, only available
for members of the elite 99s Club, consisted of an over-124 mile course from Glendale to San Diego. The winners were judged
for their ability to gauge speed and altitude on the course, which stretched from Glendale to Santa Ana, San Juan Capistrano
to Oceanside, and finally ending at Lindbergh Field in San Diego.
After spending several years in the private aviation industry via the Los Angeles Municipal Airport, Onita Thorley married
the oilman Roger Keyes in 1939 and appeared to retire from the aviation industry.
This collection consists of one box 15”x 2.5”x 10” and contains newspaper clippings, pilot’s license, certificate of graduation,
and photographs dating from 1931-1939.
Related Archival Materials note
Related SDASM Resources: Onita Thorley Topping Special Collection: Topping_001 to Topping_016 Helen Richey Collection Women
of Flight Collection John Underwood Collection Related Research Institutions: International Women’s Air and Space Museum 1501
N Marginal Rd #166 Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, OH 44114 Phone: (216) 623-1111 http://iwasm.org/wp-blog/
Secondary Sources: Holden, Henry. Ladybirds: The Untold Story of Women Pilots in America. New Jersey: Black Hawk Publishing
Co., 1991. Owens, Bessie. Aerial Vagabond. New York: Liveright, 1941.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Consolidated Aircraft (Firm).
Thorley, Onita Topping
All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race (ATWAR)
Ninety-Nines (Organization)
San Diego International Airport
Women air pilots