Aviation pioneer: Amelia Earhart to be honored with statue at U.S. Capitol

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - One of the most famous pilots in aviation history will have special recognition in the U.S. Capitol.

According to U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall, Amelia Earhart will be honored on July 27 with a Congressional Statue Dedication Ceremony.

“A bold and inspiring aviator, Amelia Earhart soared into the history books, setting flight records and breaking barriers. She led the way for thousands of women to pursue their dreams – whether that was in aviation or to break their own new barriers,” Moran said.

KWCH reports the bronze statue would match a second Earhart statue that would be placed at the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum in Atchison.

“Kansas is known as the ‘Air Capital of the World,’ and the placement of the Earhart Statue furthers our commitment to that industry. As the birthplace of Earhart, we commend the city of Atchison and its leaders who worked diligently to make this statue possible,” Marshall said.

According to the senators, Earhart’s statue will be the 10th woman represented among the 100 statues within the National Statuary Hall Collection.

Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. She disappeared on a flight in July 1937.

Copyright 2022 KWCH via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.