Bernetta Adams Miller

Bernetta Adams Miller (January 11, 1884 - November 30, 1972) was a pioneering woman aviator who was the fifth licensed woman pilot in the United States. She led a colorful life including winning a Croix de Guerre in World War I and being one of the people standing between Albert Einstein and the public at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey.

Early life

Bernetta Miller was born in Canton, Ohio. Her family lived for a time in Nebraska, but soon moved to the Finger Lakes region of New York state where she briefly attended State Normal School at Geneseo. She dropped out when her father's business failed, and they returned to Canton, where she attended Canton Actual Business College where she studied bookkeeping. She then moved to New York City.

Aviation

There she became interested in aviation and took flying lessons in 1912 from the Moisant Aviation School in Mineola, Long Island. She received her license on September 25, 1912, becoming the fifth woman in the U.S. to hold a pilot's license (she held Aero Club of America license number 173). The Moisant company used her as a demonstration pilot for the Blériot monoplanes that they were building under license. She was the pilot chosen to demonstrate the Moisant-Blériot monoplane to the United States Army at College Park, Maryland on October 7, 1912. This was apparently the first demonstration of a monoplane to the U.S. government. On January 20, 1913 at Garden City, New York she attempted a women's altitude record, but had to return to ground when an oil gauge broke and oil obscured her vision. With increasing disapproval of women flying after the death of Harriet Quimby, and suffering financial difficulties, she gave up aviation soon after.

World War I

Bernetta went to the front in World War I as a volunteer for the YMCA. She delivered food to the troops of the 326th Infantry of the 82nd Division as a canteen worker, frequently under fire. She was wounded at least once, but remained at the front through the Argonne offensive and to the end of the war. In 1919 she was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government.

Turkey and after

From 1926 to 1933 Bernetta was Bursar of the American School for Girls in Istanbul, Turkey. She resigned that job when a new head of school was appointed whom she disliked, and she returned to the United States. From 1933 to 1941 she was Bursar of St. Mary's Hall, a private school in Burlington, New Jersey.

The Institute for Advanced Study

From 1941 to 1948 she worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. She was at first secretary to the director of the Institute and bookkeeper, but when her vision declined owing to cataracts she was made a greeter in the entrance of the Institute. As such, she was one of the people responsible for keeping visitors from disturbing Albert Einstein. When Robert Oppenheimer became head of the Institute, he fired Bernetta. She said of him "I think the man was a complete snake -- but I would "never" say that he was disloyal."

Her view of Einstein was entirely different. She referred to him as "the dear" and said of him that "of all the men there he was one of the kindest. He loved everybody. He was the nicest, most outgoing man. There was nothing petty about him." When she was fired Einstein wrote a letter of reference for her.

Later years

After Princeton, Bernetta worked as a housemother in colleges. She was admitted to membership in the Early Birds, an association of aviators who had flown before 1917. She retired to New Hope, Pennsylvania where she died, after breaking her hip in a fall, in November 1972. She is buried in West Lawn Cemetery in Canton, Ohio.

Bernetta in Museums

[http://www.lincolnbeachey.com/photocolpk.html Her 1912 flying suit] (actually one made for riding in open automobiles) is on display at the College Park Airport in Maryland. There is a picture of her in the Early Flight room of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

External links

* [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/women_aviators/bernetta_miller.htm Page on her at National Air and Space Museum, with brief biography and images.]
* [http://mdln.hws.edu/cap/pao/newsletter_jan02.pdf Biographical article on Bernetta] by Preston Pierce on page 5 of this 2002 issue of the newsletter of the Canandaigua Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol.