Harold Neumann (L) & Benny Howard, 1935

Harold Neumann landed solo at Tucson on August 20, 1931 flying Travel Air NC5237. Based in Moline, IL he was westbound from El Paso, TX to Santa Monica, CA. Neuman also landed at Santa Monica's Clover Field during this same itinerary. Additional information about him is at the link.

Image, right, from Neumann's NASM dossier, is annotated, "Left, Harold Neuman [sic] 1935 TTR Winner".

The person to the right of Neumann is Benny Howard who built the aircraft that Neumann made famous. Among them Howard DGA-4, 5, and 6, "Mike", "Ike", and "Mr. Mulligan." Thanks to Russ Plehinger (REFERENCES) for identifying Benny Howard.

A written interview from 1985 with Neumann, as well as a small contemporary image, is available at this link. There you will find his impressions of his early flying and his successes in air racing, especially the 1935 National Air Races (NAR) when he won the Thompson Trophy flying "Mr. Mulligan." He also took a first and a third place during the 1933 NAR flying the Folkerts Special SK-1.

Below, courtesy of site visitor Joe Kranz, a U.S. postal cachet signed by Neumann and postmarked July 23, 1933. It commemorates the dedication of the Peoria, IL airport.

U.S. Postal Cachet, July 23, 1933, Peoria, IL (Source: Kranz)

Another cachet from Mr. Kranz is signed by Neumann and postmarked February 11, 1934, below. The cachet commemorates the 1934 Pan American Air Races.

U.S. Postal Cachet Signed by Harold Neumann, Dated February 11, 1934 (Source: Kranz)

The undated news article, below, from Mr. Kranz can be roughly dated to just before he participated in the Pan American Races.

Undated News Article, Ca. 1934 (Source: Kranz)

Below, displayed on the same album page as Mr. Kranz' cachet, is this full-color sticker prepared for the Races and captured by Mr. Kranz' grandfather as a souvenir.

Pan American Air Races, New Orleans, LA, February, 1934 (Source: Kranz)

Below, an image of Harold Neumann, courtesy of Tim Kalina, taken October 19, 1935 at Pittsburgh, PA. This same image, and one other, are exhibited at the Klein Archive on this site.

Harold Neumann, Date & Location Unknown

Harold Neumann died July 5, 1995. He was the only surviving winner of the pre-WW II Thompson Trophy air races, having won the event in Benny Howard's "Mr. Mulligan."

Interestingly, Neumann was part of the ceremonies during the dedication and opening of the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum at the Washington Mall during April, 1985. He was accompanied in his duties by Register pilots Jimmy Doolittle, Jimmy Mattern and Steve Wittman (cited at this source, page 32).

---o0o---

UPLOADED: 10/16/07 REVISED: 07/31/08, 07/01/11, 09/21/11, 03/07/17