Frankie Renner *

      Frankie Renner was born on July 27, 1897, in Sugar Creek , Ohio ; and, she died on May 25, 1985, in Millersburg , Ohio , at the age of 87. In 1927, Miss Renner became Akron ’s first woman pilot. In 1931, she almost set a new world’s altitude record; however, her government-certified equipment had frozen up and they said she was 3,700 feet short of the record. She flew passengers and cargo as a transport pilot in 1932. Her flying career ended in 1933, when the Stow hangar was destroyed by fire. Frankie was then employed by Allen T. Simmons, owner of Radio Station WADC. For 37 years, she served in several positions at the station, including secretary, assistant administrator, switchboard operator and receptionist. Her exceptional memory and efficiency made her almost indispensable at the switchboard operation. Early on, she produced one of the first programs for women in Akron , a 15-minute segment on fashion and homemaking. She stayed with WADC until her retirement.