Illinois State Library

Illinois Center for the Book

Individual Author Record

General Information

Name:  William R. Norwood  

Pen Name: None

Genre: Non-Fiction

Audience: Adult;

Born: 1936 in Centralia, Illinois

-- William R. Norwood/SIU Alumni Hall of Fame -- http://www.chem.siu.edu/alumni/hall-of-fame/norwood.php
-- William R. Norwood on WorldCat -- http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=william+r.++norwood

Illinois Connection

Norwood was born and raised in Centralia. He graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with his BA in 1959 and the University of Chicago with his MBA in 1974.

Biographical and Professional Information

William "Bill" Norwood is a Lincoln Laureate and a retired United Airlines captain. He was the first African American pilot for United Airlines. He flew the "friendly skies" for 31 years before retiring in 1996. Bill, who was in ROTC at Southern Illinois University, flew the B-52 in the Air Force. His inspiration was his elementary school principal in his small southern Illinois town of Centralia, who was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II.

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