Ruth Nichols
Rye’s Aviatrix Rises Above

Ruth Nichols (1901–1960), born in Rye and educated at The Masters School and Wellesley College, pursued aviation as the field rapidly expanded. She completed the first nonstop New York–Miami flight in 1928, breaking Charles Lindbergh’s transcontinental record in 1930. Nichols held three international women’s records by 1931. She dreamed of being the first woman to cross the Atlantic, but after a serious crash in July 1931, she defiantly told reporters, “They can’t keep me down,” and went on to set more records while championing aeronautics' transformative potential and engaging in philanthropy.

However, chronic pain from past injuries later led to depression, and she died in 1960, leaving a legacy of breaking gender barriers and proving the sky has no limits.