Kate Lee Harris Adams

Katherine Lee Harris Adams, also known as Kate Adams, was born on September 5, 1919, and passed away on December 2, 2002. She was an American pilot who served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots during World War II. These women helped fly aircraft for many important tasks that supported the war effort.

In 1977, Kate was recognized as a veteran for her important work. Later, in 2009, she and all the other members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots were given a special award called the Congressional Gold Medal. This award shows how much they were valued for their brave and helpful service during the war.

Early life and education

Katherine Lee Harris, known as Kate Adams, was born on September 5, 1919, in Durham, North Carolina. Her parents were Arthur Miller Harris, a city councilman, and Kate Lee Hundley, a homemaker who used to be a schoolteacher. Kate finished her high school at Durham High School in 1937 and later went to Duke University. She graduated in 1941 with a degree in fine arts.

Women Airforce Service Pilots

Kate Lee Harris Adams learned to fly during a special program for students at Duke University. She then joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots in 1943, a group of women pilots who helped the United States Air Force during World War II. These pilots tested planes, flew them to different bases, and taught other pilots, allowing male pilots to focus on combat missions.

Adams trained in Texas and worked at an air base in Alabama. She flew several types of planes and helped train new pilots. After the war, in 1977, she and her fellow pilots were recognized as veterans. Many years later, in 2009, she and all members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots received a special award called the Congressional Gold Medal for their important work.

Personal life and death

Kate Adams met Lieutenant Robert Adams, a U.S. Air Force officer, while working at Napier Field. They married and, after World War II, moved to Kansas City, where they lived for eight years, and then to Houston, where they stayed for fifty-four years. She was active in her church community.

She enjoyed traveling and even visited China as part of an early tour group allowed into the country. Adams passed away on December 2, 2002, at a retirement home in Durham. Her funeral took place at her childhood church, Trinity United Methodist Church, and she was buried in Maplewood Cemetery.