[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 214 (Thursday, December 17, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CELEBRATING IRIS CUMMINGS CRITCHELL'S 100TH BIRTHDAY

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                             HON. JUDY CHU

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, December 17, 2020

  Ms. JUDY CHU of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
and celebrate the 100th birthday of one of my constituents, Iris 
Cummings Critchell, a remarkable woman who has led an extraordinary 
life.
  Iris was born on December 21, 1920, in Los Angeles, California. She 
was a competitive swimmer in her youth and was the U.S. champion in the 
200-meter breaststroke from 1936 to 1939. Her hard work and talents led 
her to represent the United States in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. 
Shortly thereafter, she attended the University of Southern California 
(USC) and graduated in 1941 with a degree in physical sciences and 
mathematics.
  Interested in aviation from an early age, Iris was accepted into 
USC's first Civilian Pilot Training Program in 1939. She received her 
pilot's license in 1940 and began work as a pilot instructor after 
graduating college. During WWII, Iris joined the Women's Auxiliary 
Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), which later merged into the Women Airforce 
Service Pilots (WASP). She served as a member of the 6th Ferrying Group 
out of Long Beach, California, ferrying planes built in Southern 
California across the country. During her service, she flew 27 
different types of military aircraft, nearly 30 types of civilian 
aircraft, and flew 18 military aircraft as the pilot in command. It was 
during her time in the service that she met her husband and fellow 
military pilot, Howard Critchell.
  After the War, Iris returned to the University of Southern California 
to develop and teach a curriculum on civilian aviation for returning 
veterans. In 1962, Iris and Howard joined the faculty of Harvey Mudd 
College, where they founded the Bates Aeronautics Program, a two-year 
program to teach undergraduates to fly. She ran the program with Howard 
until he retired in 1979 and continued alone until the program ended in 
1990 with her retirement, although she continued to teach aeronautics 
classes until 1996.
  Among her many honors, Iris was inducted into the National Flight 
Instructors Hall of Fame in 2000, awarded the Federal Aviation 
Administration's Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in 2006, and 
awarded the Nile Gold Medal of the Federation Aeronautique 
Internationale in 2007 for her lifetime of dedication to aviation 
education.
  Although she has been retired for 30 years, Iris continues to be an 
active member of both the Harvey Mudd College and aviation communities, 
mentoring students and anyone interested in aviation. She serves as a 
role model for women aviators and is an inspiration to all with whom 
she interacts. It is my distinct honor to recognize Iris Cummings 
Critchell's lifetime service to our country, and I ask my colleagues to 
join me in sending our best wishes to her and her family as they 
celebrate her 100th birthday on December 21st.

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