Iris Cummings Critchell

Dec. 21, 1920–Jan. 24, 2025

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Iris Cummings Critchell, instructor of aeronautics emerita at Harvey Mudd College, pioneering female pilot in the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS), Olympic athlete and beloved mentor to students, passed away Jan. 24, 2025, in Claremont, California. Critchell was 104.

Born Dec. 21, 1920, in Los Angeles, Critchell began swimming at an early age and continued to enjoy it into her 103rd year. Her father, a well-known coach, M.D. and event official, taught her not only swimming and personal growth, but sportsmanship and the underlying concepts of the Olympic games. Critchell began swimming in the Pacific Ocean as a very young girl and at age 11 attended the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles as a spectator with her father.  She went on to win the U.S. National Championship in the 200-meter breaststroke in 1936.  This put her on the U.S. Olympic team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and she remained national champion for three years.  She was the last living U.S. survivor of the games.  Critchell spent the rest of her life epitomizing the Olympic ideals and shared her experiences and enthusiasm with countless admirers.

Critchell began flying in 1939 at Mines Field (now LAX) in Piper J-2 Cub planes while a sophomore at University of Southern California. She completed private pilot and advanced acrobatic courses in Waco bi-planes in 1939 and 1940 on the first civil pilot training program at USC, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in physical sciences and mathematics in 1941.

In 1941, she was an instructor for the civil pilot training program at Brackett Field in La Verne, California, and, in 1942, for the Navy Cadet program for Stockton Junior College in Carson City, Nevada. In December 1942, she reported to Houston for Army Air Corps training and was then assigned to the WAFS, which later became known as the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs).

Until December 1944, she served as a civilian ferry pilot with the Army Air Corps, Air Transport Command, 6th Ferrying Group at Long Beach. During this time, Critchell ferried more than 25 types of military airplanes as pilot in command, including each of the WWII trainers, P-47 Thunderbolt, P-40 War Hawk, P-39 Air Cobra, C-47 Transport, B-25 Mitchell, A-20 Havoc, and the most advanced aircraft such as the P-38 Lightning, P-51 Mustang and P-61 (the Black Widow).

From 1946 to 1948 at the University of Southern California College of Aeronautics at Santa Maria, Critchell developed the curriculum, taught the classes for primary, instrument, commercial and instructor courses and gave all the instrument flight instruction in Vultee BT-13 trainers. Beginning in 1950, she flew in the All-Woman Transcontinental Air Race (Powder Puff Derby) 15 times and placed first in two races and in the top 10 seven times.

Iris Critchell talks to students as they inspect a small aircraft

In 1961, Critchell and her longtime pilot husband, Howard (a.k.a. “Critch”), were asked by Isabel Bates to establish a special aero program for the Bates Foundation for Aeronautical Education. Iris developed this unique program to use the airplane as a tool for enhancing the education of young people in junior high, high school and college. In 1962, Iris and Critch launched the Bates Aeronautics Program at Harvey Mudd College.

“Iris loved Harvey Mudd College, and along with her husband, Critch, was instrumental in inspiring generations of our students to love aeronautics and to appreciate the privilege of flight,” said HMC President Harriet B. Nembhard. “One of my fondest memories is of a conversation I had with her when I first joined the Harvey Mudd family as president in 2023. During our talk, she shared that ‘Harvey Mudd is a special place. It is worthy of special endeavors.’”

“Iris undertook many special endeavors in her long and amazing life, and her words proved inspiring to me,” Nembhard said.

From 1962 to 1990, Critchell served as director of the Bates Foundation’s Aeronautics Program at Harvey Mudd as a faculty lecturer in aeronautics and as chief flight instructor for the flight-training phase of the program. More than just a tool for enhancing science education, the program taught student pilots what Critchell called “the privilege of flight,” leadership, responsibility and self-reliance amid the demanding conditions of an airplane cockpit. The more than 250 Harvey Mudd alumni who participated in the Bates Program while students at Harvey Mudd now include many distinguished scientists, aero engineers, aerospace researchers and two astronauts, as well as other successful business leaders and entrepreneurs.

Bruce Worster ’64, a Bates alumnus, physicist and entrepreneur described her as a remarkable member of the aviation community whose energy and achievements amazed everyone.

After retirement, as a faculty emerita, Critchell taught aeronautics for six more semesters at Harvey Mudd and continued to assist with student aero projects and advise members of the Barnstormers student club. She also served as curator of the Aeronautical Library Special Collection at the College.

In 2015, in honor of her 76 years of contributions to the aviation community, Critchell was inducted into the California Aviation Hall of Fame at the Museum of Flying in Long Beach. She joined the ranks of inductees who shaped the growth of the aviation and aerospace industry in California.

Iris Critchell with her AABIOG award

The following year, the Harvey Mudd College Alumni Association awarded its second Van Hecke Prize to Critchell, who had received an Honorary Alumnus distinction in 1990 and a Lifetime Achievement award in 2007. Considered the highest honor given by the alumni association, the Van Hecke Prize is reserved for alumni who are synonymous with an extraordinary level of support for and commitment to the College, its students, its alumni and its mission.

Critchell’s other many honors include:

  • Ontario (CA) FAA District, Flight Instructor of the Year, 1972
  • National Association of Flight Instructors Hall of Fame, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 2000
  • Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, Federal Aviation Administration, 2006
  • Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, 2007
  • Honoree, USAF Air University Gathering of Eagles at Maxwell Field, 2008
  • Nile Gold Medal for contributions to aerospace education, Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, 2008
  • Honoree, Flight Path Learning Center Museum at LAX, 2013

Reflecting on her career at Harvey Mudd, Critchell once said, “I loved the opportunity to bring stories of sharing the privilege of flight with each generation of students and to follow their aero, space and life accomplishments.”

Critchell was preceded in death by her husband, Howard “Critch” Critchell. She is survived by a daughter, Sandie Clary SCR ’74, a son, Robin Critchell, three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, gifts in honor of Iris Critchell may be made to Harvey Mudd College, Office of College Advancement, 301 Platt Blvd., Claremont, CA, 91711.

Memories of Iris

Robert Kelley ’67

Bates Aero 3

When I was accepted for the Bates Program at Harvy Mudd in my sophomore year, I was excited that I was going to learn to fly. That had been an unachievable goal for me, but Isabel Bates’ generosity made it a realistic goal. In the beginning I didn’t realize that the end goal was to challenge young men in many ways, help them find potential and make them very responsible in a field where mistakes are not acceptable.

I also had no idea I was about to embark on a journey with two exceptional and dedicated individuals: Iris and Howard Critchell. This husband-and-wife team had the same vison as each other and Ms. Bates. It was about character and learning. Precision and safety. Pushing capabilities responsibly but respecting limits. Being a team member of our class of 9 students as well as the 9 students in the class ahead of us.

In short it became a family more than just a flying program. The Critchells treated us as family and we often did events together, dinners at there home. And several exciting extra events like visiting the Palmdale ATC, Edwards AFB, NASA Ames and meeting legendary aviation pioneers there. Not to mention that Iris herself was a legendary aviation pioneer. When I met her, she was only 46 years old! And had already accomplished as much in the cockpit as any member of her generation. She was an inspiration.

I haven’t been to California for quite a few years now but I tried to visit the Critchells whenever I did. Iris clearly acquired more years in her certificates but she never seemed to get old. My wife met her for the first time when 80-something Iris was emerging from her daily swim in Claremont. Sparkle and spirit were always there: in my case I saw it in our last email exchange in January.

I mentioned in the introduction that the Bates Program was focused on young men. That was Ms. Bates’ decision and the Foundation was her gift. It was obvious that Iris chaffed at this restriction. Her response was to include several young women from the Claremont Colleges family and unofficially make them part of the family in later years of the program. I’m sure that we were family with many of them and they showed the same love of aviation and independence as the boys did!

I thank Iris for making me who I am today. Some of it is technical: VORs, ATC, stalls and spins, safe arrivals, situational awareness, being precise but flexible when things go wrong. It helps me be a better citizen when I listen to aviation news. Informed, aware and cautious. And much more subjectively, a sense of my own capabilities, limitations and partnerships.

Iris and Critch were selfless and very special. We lost Critch 10 years ago. And we knew that we would lose Iris as those three-digit birthdays accumulated. Despite the sense of loss I am just very happy that I knew them, benefited from their wisdom and am a better person for their friendships.

Barbara Filkins ’75

Student, Bates instructor, and friend

I could say boatloads – no planeloads — about my interaction with Iris but space is limited. So here goes…
Iris had a way of expressing her opinion about things without overly stating her skepticism. Many of my interactions with her were marked by ‘humpf.’ Here are some of the more memorable.

The evening Iris passed, I was uploading my logbook to an electronic record and came across her endorsement for my flight instructor instrument rating. I remember the ‘humpf’ when I told her I wanted to teach for the Bates program — but she flew with me. I passed the practical check and immediately started teaching for the Bates program the very next day. Nuff said.
When I told her that I was marrying Dale, another pilot (not a Mudder), she again went ‘humpf’ but she and Critch stood up for our marriage on the HMC campus. And he was accepted into the Bates family. Nuff said.
By the time Dale and I got around to building the high-end experimental airplane – the Velocity V-Twin – she had mellowed a bit in her ‘humpfs’ – the ‘humpf’ wasn’t as quite direct and, when I reported back to her, I had soloed the twin, she immediately demanded to know how it felt to have 527VT all to myself.

During those early years, Mrs. C (as we all knew her) alluded to but never fully went into depth as to her impressive background as a pilot. But there were definite tell tales.

When Dale and I married, he owned a two-seat training airplane known as Grumman AA1. Iris did not outwardly approve of Grumman AA1 (again the ‘humpf’), but she (not so) subtly communicated that she was eager to fly it. When she took over the controls and sorted the airplane’s performance out in under 5 minutes, I went “whoa, how did she do that?” She then casually remarked that the AA1 handled much as some of the high-performance aircraft she had flown without further elaboration.

You might say that Mrs. C. was a force of nature. How else could she shame most of us who knew her into trying to keep up with her (mentally or even physically) at 90. 100, or 103? Also, as a force of nature, Iris took over most conversations easily. You could criticize her for that – but you better listen. And I only wish I had listened more.

What was it like having an instructor that is essentially a force of nature in the right seat instructing you? Looking at my early log book entries, the answer is “not easy.” But that primary training was much more than just learning to fly. Iris shaped how I live, how I teach, and more importantly how I contribute back to the world. She (together with her husband Critch) taught me the power of community – what can be achieved when you can bring people together.

I still feel the void of not hearing her voice in this lifetime BUT if I ask quietly “Iris – what would you do?” and listen closely, her voice resonates quite clearly. She taps me on my mental shoulder: “OK it’s a strong crosswind, how will you handle this?” – reminding me that I am pilot in control as to how I can improve the future.

Stan Love ’87

Flight student

I had the fabulous good fortune to be a student of Iris Critchell in the Bates Aeronautics Program in the mid-1980s. As I’ve often told anyone who will listen, that experience set the course for my life and career. Iris taught me so many valuable life lessons that it’s hard to choose which ones to share in a limited space. But here are a few standouts.

1. If you get brought on board as an alternate, second, or deputy, appreciate the role and work hard at it. Frequently the backup person gets promoted to primary. That was the case for me and Bates, where I was accepted as a backup. It was a good thing that Iris encouraged me to pay full attention in ground school, because when other students had to drop out, I moved up to a flying slot! That experience repeated itself later. I went to Antarctica as a backup. I attended helicopter school as a backup. And I did my first spacewalk as a backup.

2. The best antidote for too much intellectual challenge is an activity, especially a physical one, that demands complete focus. As students, Harvey Mudd College’s rigorous academics dominated our time and attention. It was hard to tear ourselves away from it for extracurricular activities. Even when we weren’t in front of our books, our heads tended to remain there. Flying broke that obsession. For that hour in the air, Iris made us forget about differential equations and devote all of our attention to window pictures, engine and radio sounds, feedback from our kinetic senses, and the indications of panel instruments. Driving back to campus from Brackett Field I always felt elated and exhausted. But my mind was refreshed and ready to tackle more academics. I once read a study of human happiness that found that Buddhists generally report higher feelings of happiness. Maybe that’s because of the focus they cultivate in their daily meditation. In my experience, an hour of aviation can achieve the same result.

3. “Grab hold of those controls and command that aircraft!” Like many student pilots, I was timid with the controls at first. It can be intimidating to operate a complex machine in an environment that can harm you in many ways. Yet the airplane is designed to respond to our control inputs. We can bend it to our will. Many times in my life, when I was called to take action in a stressful environment, Iris’s exhortation to take command–to seize the day–returned to my consciousness. I expect that those words will stay with me, and motivate me, for the rest of my life.

Thanks for reading, and for helping us all to remember Iris Critchell.

Pinky Nelson ’72

Student and Friend

My freshman year I played on the baseball team under coach Bill Arce. I had a good year, played on the varsity and spent the summer in Holland with a team of players from around the LA area assembled and coached by Arce. I love baseball so it was a wrenching decision to quit the team after being selected for the Bates program. Coach Arce was totally understanding that two extracurricular activities would be too much for a Harvey Mudd student and we stayed friends for the rest of my HMC time. Many years later I was in Claremont for some event or other and arranged to visit Iris. When I got to her home, I was surprised to find Bill Arce there too, and we had a wonderful visit. I don’t know if I’d said much at the time about the loss that I felt giving up baseball, but Iris knew, and this was her way of acknowledging it all these years later. Of course, the way things turned out, it was the right decision. Without Bates my career path would have been completely different. The impact of the Critchells on my life has been profound. There are so many memorable stories about Iris: her kindness, zest for life, total support for all of us as pilots and young people and beyond, and her insistence on excellence in the air and on the ground. What a life she led!