¶ Charles Sparks Thomas, 60, bouncy, bottle-bald former Secretary of the Navy (1954-57), was named president of Trans World Airlines, a job that eccentric T.W.A. Owner Howard Hughes has found hard to fill since the death of Ralph S. Damon 2½ years ago. Carter L. Burgess piloted T.W.A. for a year until falling out with Hughes last December; since then, Chairman Warren Lee Pierson has acted as president, and T.W.A., with no firm, clear-cut leadership, lost $14 million in the first five months of 1958. To pull up T.W.A., Hughes picked an old airman. Californian Thomas climbed into the air...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
