Citation:

For displaying heroic courage and skill as a navigator, at the risk of his life, by his nonstop flight in his airplane, the "Spirit of St. Louis," from New York City to Paris, France, 20-21 May 1927, by which Capt. Lindbergh not only achieved the greatest individual triumph of any American citizen but demonstrated that travel across the ocean by aircraft was possible.

Charles Lindbergh's 1928 Awards*

On Feb. 13, 1928, Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh returned to St. Louis, Mo., from his good-will flight of 9,390 miles, begun Dec. 13, 1927, to Mexico, Central and South America, and the islands of the Caribbean. For the service he informally rendered in the way of furthering the relations between the United States and the foreign countries he visited, he received an award of the Woodrow Wilson Foundation--a medal of honor and a gift of $25,000.

At Washington, D. C., on March 21, President Coolidge bestowed on him the Congressional Medal of Honor that had been voted by special act of Congress, in recognition of his trans-Atlantic flight of 1927. Colonel Lindbergh has presented to the Smithsonian Institution, at Washington, D. C., his famous monoplane, Spirit of St. Louis. It was placed on exhibition in the aircraft division in April. He was awarded the Clifford Harmon Trophy at the International Civil Aeronautics Conference held at Washington, D. C., in December. He was also awarded the Roosevelt medal for distinguished service in 1928.

The new degree Master of Aeronautics was bestowed upon him on June 9, by the University of the City of New York. The degree was created by its board of regents. Its school of aeronautics was instituted by Daniel Guggenheim with a gift of $500,000 before he established the aviation fund which bears his name. Although Colonel Lindbergh is not a graduate of the University of the City of New York, his attainments in aeronautical science were deemed by the board as meriting the honor of being the first to receive the new degree.

Late in 1928 he was appointed by the United States government as adviser in matters pertaining to aeronautical science. This appointment does not require his full time and enables him to continue with other flying interests. Significant among these is the chairmanship of the technical committee of the Trans-Continental Air Transport, of New York City.

*Reprinted from the World Book.