Piper, William

Piper, William (Thomas)

(1881–1970) airplane manufacturer; born in Knapps Creek, N.Y. After graduating from Harvard (1903), he worked in construction and then for his family's Pennsylvania oil business. In 1931 he took over a bankrupt airplane company and began producing small affordable planes, "Cubs," for ordinary people. During his lifetime, the Piper Aircraft Corporation produced more airplanes than any other company.