The Wright Sister

About this episode

This episode explores the significant yet often overlooked role of Katharine Wright in the achievements of her brothers, Orville and Wilbur Wright, in aviation history.

Orville and Wilbur Wright have been immortalized as the men opened the skies to human flight. But could they have achieved such great heights without the wind beneath their wings — their sister? Katharine Wright was her brothers' biggest champion, official spokesperson, closest confidante and the only one of the Wright siblings with a college degree. For years, Katharine, Wilbur and Orville were inseparable — until tragedy and a love affair upended everything. This is the story of the Wright sibling that history almost left out. Guests: Thomas Paone, museum specialist at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Tom Crouch, curator emeritus of the aeronautics division at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and author of The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright

People in this episode

Guests: Thomas Paone, Tom Crouch

Topics covered

• Wright siblings
• aviation history
• female contributions
• family dynamics
• tragedy
• historical figures

Keywords

• Katharine Wright
• Orville Wright
• Wilbur Wright
• aviation
• family
• history
• Smithsonian
• female empowerment
• tragedy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Books & works: The Bishop’s Boys: A Life of Wilbur and Orville Wright

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