Eula Pearl Carter Scott was born on December 9, 1915 in Marlow, Oklahoma to father, George, and mother, Lucy, who was an original enrollee of the Chickasaw Nation. Pearl's colorful life took her from Marlow to the Chickasaw Hall of Fame.

Early Aptitude for Flying

After learning how to drive at the age of 12, she soared to new heights and learned to fly at the age of 13 under legendary aviator Wiley Post. She became the youngest pilot in the United States with her first solo flight on September 12, 1929. She later worked as a stunt pilot where she performed until ending her career to focus on her children and family.

Serving the Chickasaw people

She started a second career with the Chickasaw Nation in 1972, as one of the tribe's first community health representatives after studying at the Desert Willow Indian Training Center in Tucson, Arizona. In 1983, Pearl was elected to the Chickasaw legislature, where she served three terms and helped oversee tremendous growth in tribal operations and services.

Pearl's Legacy

Pearl's life is the epitome of independence and equality, both traits evident today in the Chickasaw Nation. This spice for life has been recognized across the nation. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Aviation and Space Hall of Fame, the Chickasaw Hall of Fame, the International Women's Air and Space Museum Hall of Fame, and is a charter member of the National Museum of the American Indian at the Smithsonian.

Photo courtesy of the Chickasaw Council House Museum

A complete file of her aviation experiences is included in the "History of Aviation Collection on Women" at Texas University in Dallas. She was listed in the 1978-79 edition of "Personalities of the South", the 1989-90 edition of "Outstanding Women of America", and in the Chickasaw Historical Section of the Memphis Magazine. In 1990 she was honored as Homecoming Queen and Guest of Honor for the 60th Anniversary Celebration of Wylie Post's trip around the world [1].