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2025-05-19T07:47:36Z

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{{Short description|American aviator and politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Al Key
| image = Alkey.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Al Key in military uniform, ca. 1940
| birthname = Algene Earl Key
| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date|1905|2|5}}}}
| birth_place = [[Kemper County, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1976|7|17|1905|2|5}}
| death_place = [[Meridian, Mississippi]], U.S.
| office = Mayor of [[Meridian, Mississippi]]
| term_start = {{Start date|1965|07|1}}
| term_end = {{end date|1973|07|1}}
| predecessor = Henry D. Burns
| successor = [[Tom Stuart (politician)|Tom Stuart]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse = {{marriage| Evelyn N. Rogers|1925}}
| children = One
| residence = Meridian, Mississippi
| alma_mater = [[University of Southern Mississippi|Hattiesburg Normal School (now University of Southern Mississippi)]]<br>[[Mississippi State University|Mississippi A & M College (now Mississippi State University)]]
| profession =
| website =
}}

'''Al Key''' (5 February 1905 – 17 July 1976) was an American aviator who broke a flight endurance record with his brother [[The Flying Keys|Fred]] in 1935.

After a distinguished career in the military, he served as the [[mayor]] of [[Meridian, Mississippi]] from 1965 to 1973.

==Early life and family==
Algene Earl Key was born on a farm in [[Kemper County, Mississippi]] on February 5, 1905. He was the eldest of three sons of Elmore Benjamin (1877-1951), a physician, and Mary Ola Love (Olivier) Key (1879-1970), a homemaker. In the 1920s, Al moved with his family to Meridian.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day">{{cite news |author= |date=27 Jun 1965 |orig-date= |title=July 1 real red letter day In life of Colonel Al Key |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-july-1-real-red-letter-da/127174282/ |work=Clarion-Ledger |type= |series= |language= |volume= |issue= |edition= |location=Jackson, Mississippi |publisher= |publication-date= |agency= |page=18 |pages= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=8 April 2024 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |quote=Next Thursday, July 1, 1965, thirty years to. the day since the historical flight of the "Flying Keys", Col. Key's term as mayor of the City of Meridian will officially begin. More than 30,000 spectators were on hand when the Key Brothers made their landing in 1935. The Keys had succeeded in setting the new record on their third attempt.}}</ref>

Al attended Hattiesburg Normal School (later the University of Southern Mississippi) and Mississippi A & M College (later Mississippi State University).<ref name="Obit">{{cite news |author= |date=18 Jul 1976 |orig-date= |title=Former mayor and pilot, Al Key, Meridian, dies |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/clarion-ledger-algene-key-obituary/89673061/ |work=Clarion-Ledger |type= |series= |language= |volume= |issue= |edition= |location=Jackson, Mississippi |publisher= |publication-date= |agency= |page=25 |pages= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=28 March 2024 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |quote=Al Key served two terms as mayor of Meridian, 1965 to 1973, was president of the Lauderdale County Heart Assn., member of the Popular Springs Drive United Methodist Church and former director of the county's Civil Defense.}}</ref>

==Career==
In 1926, Key began taking flying lessons at the Nicholas Beazley Flying School in Marshall, Missouri. After obtaining his pilot's license, he sparked his brother Fred's interest in flying.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/> He and his brother Fred started their own flying school in Sedalia, Missouri.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/><ref name="Obit"/>

Returning to Meridian in 1930, Al became the city's first licensed pilot. He and Fred started a flying school based at the old Bonita Airport in Meridian.<ref name="Obit"/>

In 1935, Al and Fred broke an aviation endurance record when they flew a single engine plane 653 hours and 34 minutes. It was their third attempt. In recognition of their achievement the Meridian airport was named Key Field in their honor.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/><ref name="Obit"/><ref name='DSC'>{{cite news |author= |name-list-style= |date=March 2, 1943 |orig-date= |title=Major Algene Key is awarded DSC |script-title= |trans-title= |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/772572798/ |url-status= |work=The York Daily News-Times |type= |series= |language= |volume= |issue= |edition= |location=York, Nebraska |publisher= |publication-date= |agency= |page=5 |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=March 28, 2024 |via=newspapers.com |url-access=subscription |quote=Maj. Algene E. Key of Meridian, Miss., who with his brother Fred set an endurance flight record of 653 hours and 34 minutes in 1935, has been awarded the distinguished service cross for flying his severely damaged heavy bomber in formation during a raid on German-held France, the war department announced today. }}</ref>

Thirty years later, it was still the official endurance record. However, by that time at least two flights were claimed to be of longer duration.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/>

==Military service==

In 1939, Key formed one of the first Air National Guard units in the United States. Immediately after America entered World War Two, it was also one of the first units called to active duty.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/>

In the early days of the U.S. involvement in World War Two, Key served with distinction as a bomber pilot. One of his many honors was receiving the distinguished service cross in 1943 for flying his severely damaged plane during a raid in France, which was then under the control of Nazi Germany.<ref name='DSC'/>

Key retired from the military in 1960. At the time of his retirement, he served as deputy commander of Headquarters Continental Airways and Air Communications Service Area located at [[Tinker Air Force Base]], Oklahoma.<ref name="Red-Letter-Day"/>

==Mayor of Meridian==
Key served two terms as mayor of Meridian from 1965 to 1973.<ref name="Obit"/>

==Death==
On Saturday, July 3, 1976, just one day before the [[United States Bicentennial|Bicentennial]], Key was involved in an automobile accident. He died two weeks later at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian as a result of his injuries.<ref name="Obit"/>

==See also==
{{Colbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* [[History of aviation]]
* [[List of firsts in aviation]]
* [[Timeline of aviation]]
{{Colend}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box|before=Henry D. Burns|title=[[List of mayors of Meridian, Mississippi|Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi]]|years=July 1, 1965 – July 1, 1973
|after=[[Tom Stuart (politician)|Tom Stuart]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Al}}
[[Category:1905 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mayors of Meridian, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Mississippi Democrats]]
[[Category:People from Kemper County, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Politicians from Meridian, Mississippi]]
[[Category:University of Southern Mississippi alumni]]
[[Category:Mississippi State University alumni]]
[[Category:1935 in aviation]]
[[Category:American inventors]]
[[Category:American Methodists]]
[[Category:Aviation history of the United States]]
[[Category:American aviation pioneers]]
[[Category:Aviators from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Barnstormers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Mississippi]]
[[Category:People from Meridian, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)]]
[[Category:United States Air Force officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]

Al Key - Revision history

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