LIVINGSTON, John Henry d: 1974

LIVINGSTON

Posted By: Lisa Showers (email)
Date: 12/6/2004 at 14:26:48

The New York Times, July 3, 1974

Des Moines, Iowa, July 2 - John H. Livingston, the man who
inspired the best-selling novel "Jonathan Livingston Seagull,"
died Sunday at the Pompano Beach (Fla.) airport soon after
completing his last plane ride.
Richard Bach, a former Iowa Air Guard pilot, has said his
best-selling book about a free-wheeling seagull was inspired by
Mr. Livingston.
Johnny Livingston, as he was known, moved many years ago
from Iowa to Florida. He was one of the country's top pilots
during the barnstorming days of the nineteen-twenties and thir­
ties.
From 1928 through 1933, Mr. Livingston won 79 first
places, 43 seconds and 15 thirds in 139 races throughout the
country, many of them at Cleveland. He won first place and
$13,910 in 1928 in a cross-country race from New York to Los
Angeles.
Mr. Livingston leaves his wife, Wavelle, two brothers and
four sisters.
Last-modified: Tue, 22-Jul-97 19:59:49 GMT