Born in Waverly on Sept. 24, 1903, Olive Ann Mellor Beech co-founded Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas, in 1932 with her husband Walter Beech. She played a vital role in the company, and after his death in 1950, she led Beech Aircraft Corporation until her retirement in 1982. Known as the "First Lady of Aviation," she was inducted into the National (1981), Kansas (1986), and International (1995) Aviation Halls of Fame. Mrs. Beech was the only Kansan and one of only three women inducted into the American National Business Hall of Fame (1983).