Milton Pitts Crenchaw was born on January 13, 1919, in Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas.
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Crenchaw attended Dunbar Junior College in Little Rock and enrolled at the historic Tuskegee Institute in Alabama in 1939. He began his flight training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery and returned to Tuskegee in 1940 for advanced training through the Civilian Pilot Training Program. One of the original Tuskegee Airmen, Crenchaw was recruited to work as a flight instructor at the institute during World War II.
Crenchaw returned to Little Rock in 1947 and was influential in founding an aviation program at Philander Smith College, where he taught aviation until 1953. He then worked at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, Camp Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Stewart in Georgia until he retired with over forty years of federal service. Crenchaw also worked at Central Flying Service in Little Rock and in various counties in Arkansas as a crop-duster.
Crenchaw passed away on November 17, 2015.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Milton P. Chrenchaw and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: MIlton P. Crenchaw (back row, 6th from left) and other flight instructors, April 1945; Photo by Perry H. Young Jr.
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Philander Smith College Flight Instructors: (left to right): Person unknown, Jimmy Washington, Milton P. Crenchaw; December 1, 1948
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Milton P. Crenchaw
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Milton P. Crenchaw and Marian S. Torrence (couple on left) at a Tennessee State University game
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Milton P. Crenchaw on his motorcycle
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: The Milton P. Crenchaw 2nd Annual Aviation Camp brochure, 2008
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Milton P. Crenchaw on his 90th birthday; 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Members of the Tuskegee Airmen seated at Barack Obama's 1st presidential inauguration; Milton P. Crenchaw was among the guests; January 20, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Milton P. Crenchaw (in red sweater) with other members of the Tuskegee Airmen at Barack Obama's 1st presidential inauguration; January 20, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Milton P. Crenchaw (left) and other Tuskegee Airmen at Barack Obama's 1st presidential inauguration; January 20, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Milton P. Crenchaw (center) and Granville Coggs (right)
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Award honoring Milton P. Crenchaw as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Patch on Milton P. Crenchaw's Tuskegee Airmen fighter jacket
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Plaque honoring the Tuskegee Airmen
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Plaque honoring the Tuskegee Airmen with a picture of members of the first all-black fighter squadron
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Milton P. Chrenchaw; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Milton P. Chrenchaw; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Milton P. Chrenchaw; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Milton P. Chrenchaw; Little Rock, Arkansas, 2009
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
