Jacqueline Cochran was an American aviator who directed the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Visual summary of operating lessons from Jackie Cochran.

Part 1: The Call of Aviation

  1. On flying: Cochran said "I loved excuses to fly. I tried to always fly a minimum of forty hours a month," and "I was only happy when I was in an airplane, completely." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On flying through bad weather: Cochran recalled telling General Arnold "I flew all night, in the lousiest weather you ever saw in your life. It better be important!" — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 2: Breaking Records and Pushing Limits

  1. On high-altitude research: Of an early low-pressure tank test Cochran said "I was the first woman to ever go in the tank." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On the Mach 1 flight: Cochran called General Yeager's Mach 1 flight "the all-time breakthrough." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  3. On the aircraft that made space possible: Cochran said "the X-1, first, X-1A, and the X- 15 are the three primary aircraft that made space possible in this country." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview III (May 25, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  4. On studying other pilots: Cochran said of the high-altitude pilots "I had read the profiles of all their flights." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview III (May 25, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 3: The WASP Program

  1. On entry standards: Cochran said "I made them have thirty-five hours of certified flying time to get in. That eliminated airsick girls, these people who are afraid of heights--they think they're not, but they are!" — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On fighting for her pilots: Cochran recalled telling officials "No way am I going to leave these women there, and, if the country is invaded, have them shot as spies!" — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  3. On not joining another outfit: Cochran told General Arnold of putting her pilots under the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps "No way! Over my dead body." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  4. On caliber: Cochran told Mrs. Hobby "I don't believe they'll join your outfit. They are of too high a caliber." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  5. On vetting every applicant: Cochran said "every single girl that was in the program was interviewed personally by one of us." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  6. On the Battle of Britain: Cochran recalled "I was in England during the Battle of Britain, the worst part of it." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview III (May 25, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  7. On no scandal: Cochran said "we never had and never have had a single scandal surrounding a single girl." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  8. On taking them young: Cochran said "I took them, you see, at eighteen; I was the only one who did." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  9. On pride in her pilots: Cochran said "Just a fabulous bunch of women. I've never seen anything like it. And I'm so proud of them." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  10. On deactivating the WASP: Cochran said "on December 20, 1944, I deactivated the women--there was no need for them." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 4: Early Life and Overcoming Adversity

  1. On self-reliance: Cochran said "I never in my life have asked a personal favor of any person in high office or in any position of influence, in my life. Neither has my husband. I don't believe in it. I think one should be able to get along on their own." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On working for what matters: Cochran said "if there's something that affects a lot of people, that's important to us, then I'll work very hard for it." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  3. On telling the truth: Cochran said "I'll always--I just won't tell a lie." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 5: Business and Cosmetics

  1. On the cosmetics business: Cochran said of her years in business "I hated every minute of it! Isn't that funny; I didn't like the people I had to deal with." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On keeping her lives separate: Cochran said "I kept the lives so separated; I didn't try to make it dependent." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  3. On cosmetics: Cochran said "I think cosmetics are very important to people, very. Men too. Same as women." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  4. On advice as one friend to another: Cochran said "I gave Mamie Eisenhower some advice on her hair, and her makeup, and--but I did that as one friend to another." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 6: Friendships and Collaborators

  1. On General Arnold: Of General Hap Arnold Cochran said "He was just the greatest guy, you know; I just adored him." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On going to Lyndon Johnson: Cochran said "I always found myself going to Lyndon Johnson when I wanted to get something done." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  3. On clearing the ground first: Cochran said "before I do anything, I'll find out whether you're going to do it with a degree of harmony and intelligence and backup, or you'd better try to stay out of it." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  4. On not accepting gifts from strangers: Cochran said "I wouldn't accept a toothpick from any organization unless I knew the organization." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  5. On disagreeing with a president: Cochran said of Roosevelt "I don't dislike any president as a person. But I disagreed with his policies." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  6. On Dr. Dryden: Cochran said "I think without Dr. Dryden there wouldn't have been a space program." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  7. On flying a sick man: Cochran recalled "I feel frightened to take him. I don't even have a co-pilot." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview I (April 7, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library

Part 7: Faith, Fear, and Philosophy

  1. On practice: Cochran said "flying a high-performance aircraft is like being a Fritz Kreisler, or like being any great performer--even in the arts, you practice all the time or you're not any good!" — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.

Part 8: Legacy and Looking Forward

  1. On women in the military and space program: Cochran said "women were trying to get into the program, as they were trying to get into everything else. And I don't mean to sound disparaging, but I think some things they have no business being in, because I don't think they can carry their weight, from an economic point of view in our country." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview II (April 7-9, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library.
  2. On a light war: Cochran said of Vietnam "That was a dark war. This was a light war." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview III (May 25, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  3. On seeing the war herself: Cochran said "I went on a supply mission in a helicopter." — LBJ Library Oral History: Jacqueline Cochran, Interview III (May 25, 1974), hosted by the Eisenhower Presidential Library
  4. On a fighting campaign without a candidate: Of the 1952 rally to draft Eisenhower Cochran said "This was a fighting campaign without a candidate." — Eisenhower Presidential Library oral history: Jacqueline Cochran (interviews with Dr. Wickman on the 1952 Eisenhower campaign; scanned transcript)
  5. On needing a co-chairman: Cochran said "I've got to have a co-chairman." — Eisenhower Presidential Library oral history: Jacqueline Cochran (interviews with Dr. Wickman on the 1952 Eisenhower campaign; scanned transcript)
  6. On being sold on an idea: Cochran said "I was so sold on this idea." — Eisenhower Presidential Library oral history: Jacqueline Cochran (interviews with Dr. Wickman on the 1952 Eisenhower campaign; scanned transcript)