AN ACE IN MUNCIE
Lucy Ball, daughter of Frank C. and Elizabeth Ball, married Alvin Owsley of Dallas, Texas, on May 16, 1925. I bet you knew that. But did you know that one of Alvin’s groomsmen was both a World War I ace and a man with a famous father?
No?
Then meet Reed Gresham Landis. Reed was born, in Ottawa, Illinois, on July 17, 1896. He was raised in Chicago and graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1915. Amelia Earhart was one of his classmates.
Reed’s father was Kenesaw Mountain Landis, a larger-than-life man who, in 1905, was appointed to a federal judgeship with the District Court of Northern Illinois by President Theodore Roosevelt. Landis became known for his flamboyant antics in the courtroom and heard some high-profile cases. In November 1920, a year after the Chicago “Black” Sox scandal, he became the first Commissioner of Baseball, with the mandate to clean up the sport.
In the meantime, America had entered World War I and Reed decided to become a pilot. After receiving some basic instruction in Illinois, he was sent to England for flight training in August 1917. There, he was attached to the 40th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps. On September 25, 1918, Major Landis was reassigned as commander of the U.S. 25th Aero Squadron. During the war, he was credited with destroying 11 enemy planes and 1 balloon in aerial combat and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and Great Britain’s Distinguished Flying Cross.
Landis Family: Reed Landis with his mother, Winifred, and his father Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis on February 15, 1919. Image from Wikipedia (in public domain).
25th Aero Squadron: 25th Aero Squadron Officer Corps with Reed G. Landis, the squadron’s first commander, at center holding “Mike,” the mascot on November 1918. Image from Wikipedia (in public domain).
After the war, he joined the American Legion and became an outspoken advocate for aviation. In the early 1920s, Landis was appointed to several terms as chairman of the Legion’s Aeronautics Committee. He also became friends with two men who were also staunch supporters of the Legion: Alvin Owsley and E. Arthur Ball, oldest son of Frank C. Ball.
Owsley and Landis both supported the cause of Colonel William Mitchell. Since the end of the war, Billy Mitchell had been a strong advocate for American air power. In 1921, he thought he’d demonstrated the value of airplanes when his unit sank a captured German battleship. But doubts in the military community persisted. When the Navy’s airship USS Shenandoah crashed on September 3, 1925, he’d had enough, accusing the Navy and War Departments of incompetence and criminal negligence.
Mitchell was court-martialed in November 1925, for bringing discredit on the military service and for conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline. His court-martial captured the nation’s attention as a parade of government and military witnesses were called to testify. Reed Landis was among the famous aviators called as witnesses for Mitchell, but to no avail. On December 17, 1925, Mitchell was found guilty on all charges.
In 1926, Landis came to Muncie. He gave a talk to the Dynamo Club in February and attended a number of social functions. On March 27th, he hosted a small dinner honoring Billy Mitchell, who had just given a talk at the Ball gymnasium. The dinner guests were Mitchell, Frank Hanley, Bennett Heath and E. Arthur Ball.
Alvin Owsley carried on the shoulders of American Legion delegates when he was elected National Commander in 1921. Image from Minnetrista Heritage Collection.
On July 31st, Landis announced that Ball Brothers would begin manufacturing “B” and “C” batteries for radio use and flashlight batteries. He had just been appointed to manage the new department. While Ball Brothers was not new to the battery business, this was a renewed commitment on a much larger scale. The company was prepared to take this step because of research done by Landis.
On October 4, 1926, one of three special trains, carrying the New York Yankees to St. Louis for the World Series, stopped in Muncie. Reed and Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis had invited three of Muncie’s best golfers, Frank Hanley, Lester Milligan and Joe Broderick, to attend two Series games. A crowd of about 700 excited Muncie citizens turned out to greet the team, wave goodbye to their friends and catch a glimpse of Babe Ruth.
By the end of 1927, Reed Landis was ready to move on to other things. Over the years he worked for American Airlines, started his own advertising firm, investigated airplane crashes in Chicago, served as a Lt. Colonel in World War II, was instrumental in organizing the Civil Air Patrol and operated a lodge near Hot Springs, Arkansas. He died on May 30, 1975.
