author
Jim Ray
1893–1955
An aviator-artist with a front-row seat to the early age of flight, he turned his fascination with airplanes into lively, accessible history. Best known for The Story of American Aviation, he wrote and illustrated with the eye of someone who had truly lived the subject.
1 Audiobook
The Story of American Aviation
by Jim Ray
About the author
Born in Claysville, Pennsylvania, in 1893, Jim Ray was an American illustrator, writer, and aviator whose work grew out of direct experience with early flight. Archival records identify him as James Ralph Ray, and note that he studied at Ohio State University, Columbia University, and the National Academy of Design in New York City.
Ray's life connected art and aviation in unusual ways. According to the University of Texas at Dallas Special Collections, he trained on an early Wright brothers airplane, served in France during World War I, and in 1923 became the first pilot to deliver airmail from Philadelphia to New York City in a Pitcairn autogiro. He also worked as a commercial illustrator, including artwork for Kellogg cereal boxes, and produced illustrations for books and magazines.
His best-known book, The Story of American Aviation (1946), was also illustrated by Ray himself. The book reflects both his enthusiasm for aviation history and his talent for visual storytelling, making a complex subject feel clear and exciting for general readers. He died in 1955.