James Smith "Mac" McDonnell was an American aviator, engineer, and businessman. He was an aviation pioneer and founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, later McDonnell Douglas, and the James S. McDonnell Foundation.
James Smith McDonnell
Astronaut John W. Young (center), pilot of the Gemini-Titan 3 flight, is shown during a steak breakfast which he was served about two hours prior to the 9:24 a.m. (EST) GT-3 launch. At left is McDonnell, board chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. Dr. Charles A. Berry, chief of Center Medical Programs, is at right.
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II, and crewed spacecraft including the Mercury capsule and Gemini capsule. McDonnell Aircraft later merged with the Douglas Aircraft Company to form McDonnell Douglas in 1967.
An FH-1 Phantom in 1948
McDonnell F2H Banshee, F3H Demon, and F4H Phantom II