For 38 years, America's premier air race pilot, S. J. Wittman served as manager of this airport. Since 1924 he designed and built aircraft for which he achieved national recognition. One of his planes, "Buster," is in the Smithsonian Institution. He designed the very popular Wittman Tailwind and V-Witt Homebuilt aircraft and a commercially used landing gear. Long recognized as one of America's foremost air race pilots, he participated from 1924 to 1974 in more closed course air races than any other person in the world. He raced in every "National Air Race" from 1928 to 1971 and still held 2 world records. His dedication to aviation focused worldwide attention upon Oshkosh and Winnebago County. This airport was named in his honor on July 24, 1969.