"S" is for Springs, Elliott White (1896-1959)

"S" is for Springs, Elliott White (1896-1959). Businessman, aviator, author. After graduating from Princeton in 1917, Springs joined the British Royal Flying Corps. Once the United States entered World War I, he was transferred to the U.S. Army. One of the most daring “aces” of the war, he had eleven confirmed “kills.” After the war he worked for his father and began to write. War Birds: The Diary of an Unknown Aviator (a thinly-disguised account of his time in England and France during World War I) was a commercial and critical success. After taking over the family textile business, he modernized the company and grew it into one of the country’s largest textile concerns. In particular, William Elliott Springs won acclaim (as well as criticism) for his humorous and risqué advertisements promoting his company’s “Springmaid” sheets.