“Failure is impossible.” – E. Lillian Todd
(1865-1937) Miss E. Lillian Todd was a stenographer who was fascinated with aviation having lived during the era when the human race was beginning to learn how to take flight. While none of her self-designed planes are known to have flown, she did exhibit one aircraft at the meeting of the Aeronautical Club of America in December of 1906. The aircraft was technically a glider since it did not contain an engine. Miss Todd had no training in the use of tools or mechanics, yet she built the plane by herself. Her designs eventually received attention from Andrew Carnegie and Harry Guggenheim.