Mason M. Patrick (December 13, 1863–January 29, 1942)

Born at Lewisburg, West Virginia, he graduated from West Point in 1886. For three years he was at the Engineers School of Application, Willette Point, New York, graduating in 1889.

From 1892 to 1895 he taught engineering at West Point. From 1897 to 1901 he was involved in Mississippi River improvements, and after two years in the office of the Chief of Engineers he returned to the West Point faculty in 1903. From 1907 to 1909 he was Chief Engineer for the Army of Cuban Pacification.

From 1910-1912, he was also a member of a board directing the raising of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor. He was promoted to Colonel of the 1st Engineer Regiment in March 1916, and served on the Mexican Border in that year

World War I

In 1917 he was sent to France. In September he was named Chief Engineer of Lines of Communication and Director of Construction and Forrestry of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF).

In May 1918 he was appointed by General John J. Pershing to command the combined Air Service of the AEF. He remained with the Air Service until June 1919, returning then to the U.S. and to various engineering duties, including Assistant Chief of Engineers in 1920.

Air Service

In October 1921, he was appointed Chief of the Air Service. Under his direction the Air Service established experimental facilities at Wright Field, Ohio, and a large training facility at San Antonio, Texas. In 1925, he sat on the court martial of his former assistant, Colonel William Mitchell. As a result of urging by Mitchell and Patrick, among others, the Air Service was reorganized as the Air Corps in July 1926, receiving an additional degree of autonomy under an Assistant Secretary of War.

He was reappointed Chief of the Air Service in October 1925 and retired from the Army in December 1927. The following year he published "The U.S. In the Air". From 1929 to 1933 he was Public Utilities Commissioner for the District of Columbia.

He died in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 1942 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery on January 31, 1942.