The Annual Wright Memorial Dinner

2023 Wright Memorial Dinner Honoring Capt. Robert Crippen

The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy is administered and presented by the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) at the Aero Club of Washington’s Annual Wright Memorial Dinner in December of each year.

The Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy is awarded to a living American for “significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States.”

The 76th Annual Wright Memorial Dinner will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024 in Washington, DC. and will honor the 2024 Wright Trophy recipient, Ben Baldanza, Former President & CEO of Spirit AirlinesView the press release.

For the first time, the Aero Club of Washington will also present its inaugural Person of the Year at the Wright Memorial Dinner.  Chairman Sam Graves, Ranking Member Rick Larsen, Chair Maria Cantwell, and Ranking Member Ted Cruz will be honored as the Aero Club’s 2024 Persons of the Year for their leadership in crafting and shepherding through Congress the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.

Past Recipients

1949 Charles A. Lindbergh
1950 Grover C. Loening
1951 Dr. Jerome Hunsaker
1952 Gen. James Doolittle, USAF
1953 Carl Hinshaw
1954 Dr. Theodore von Karman
1955 Dr. Hugh L. Dryden
1956 Dr. Edward P. Warner
1957 Senator Stuart Symington
1958 Dr. John Francis Victory
1959 William P. MacCracken, Jr.
1960 Frederick C. Crawford
1961 Senator A. S. Mike Monroney
1962 John Stack
1963 Donald W. Douglas, Sr.
1964 Henry F. Guggenheim
1965 Jerome Lederer
1966 Juan T. Trippe
1967 Igor I. Sikorksy
1968 Senator Warren C. Magnuson
1969 William M. Allen
1970 C. R. Smith
1971 Senator Howard W. Cannon
1972 John H. Shaffer
1973 Senator Barry M. Goldwater
1974 Dr. Richard T. Whitcomb

1975 Clarence “Kelly” Johnson
1976 William A. Patterson
1977 Lt. Gen. Ira C. Eaker, USAF (Ret.)
1978 Senator Jennings Randolph
1979 T. A. Wilson
1980 Olive Ann Beech
1981 Dwayne L. Wallace
1982 Dr. Willis M. Hawkins
1983 J. Leland Atwood
1984 David S. Lewis
1985 Harry B. Combs
1986 Joseph F. Sutter
1987 Allen E. Paulson
1988 Sam B. Williams
1989 Thomas Jones
1990 Edwin I. Colodny
1991 Benjamin A. Cosgrove
1992 Senator Jake Garn
1993 Gerhard Neumann
1994 A. L. Ueltschi
1995 Russell W. Meyer, Jr.
1996 Frederick W. Smith
1997 Charles H. Kaman
1998 Edward W. Stimpson
1999 Delford M. Smith
2000 Herbert D. Kelleher

2001 Neil A. Armstrong
2002 Paul H. Poberezny
2003 Senator John Glenn
2004 Robert Crandall
2005 Edward “Pete” Aldridge
2006 Norman Y. Mineta
2007 Eugene Cernan
2008 Norman Augustine
2009 Steven F. Udvar-Hazy
2010 Harrison Ford
2011 Thomas Patten Stafford
2012 Robert Stevens
2013 Marion C. Blakey
2014 Robert A. “Bob” Hoover
2015 Burt Rutan
2016 Colleen Barrett
2017 Gen. J.R. “Jack” Dailey
2018 General Lloyd “Fig” Newton
2019 Major General Michael Collins
2020 Major General Charles Bolden
2021 No Award
2022 Colonel Eileen M. Collins
2023 Capt. Robert L. Crippen
2024 Ben Baldanza