Raymond Orteig Testimonial Dinner Program

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of a 9 x 6 inch soft cover booklet (66 pages with 10 illustrations) entitled "Testimonial Dinner given to Mr. Raymond Orteig by his friends in appreciation of the great services he has rendered aviation in the United States and France, and as an acknowledgement of his good works as a citizen of New York." The dinner was held on November 2, 1927, at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The booklet includes not only a transcription of the proceedings from that dinner, but also from the presentation of the Raymond Orteig Prize to Charles A. Lindbergh earlier that year, on June 16, 1927, during a tea at the Hotel Brevoort. Also included is a transcription of the invitation and menu for a dinner dance given by Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Orteig at the Hotel Brevoort the following year on January 10, 1928, in honor of the Trustees of the Raymond Orteig Prize. The booklet concludes with the "Conditions, Rules and Regulations for the Raymond Orteig $25,000 Prize" issued on June 1, 1925, and a copy of the prize entry form. All sections include lists of the names of relevant committee members, speakers, and guests.

Arrangement

This is a single item collection. The booklet has been assigned NASM Archives image reference number NASM-9A18908. The endpapers of the book are blank and have not been digitized.

Biographical / Historical

Born in France, Raymond Orteig (1870-1939) emigrated to the United States as a child. As an adult he achieved social and financial success as the owner of the Hotel Brevoort and Hotel Lafayette in New York City, and was well-known in the local Franco-American community. Enthralled by Alcock and Brown's transatlantic flight in 1919, Orteig put up a purse of $25,000 to the first aviator to fly nonstop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. Orteig made his offer good for five years, but five years came and went without anyone accomplishing the feat; in 1926, Orteig extended the term of his offer for another five years. On May 21, 1927, Charles Augustus Lindbergh (1902-1974) successfully completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history, winning the Orteig prize by flying his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis (r/n N-X-211) 5,810 kilometers (3,610 miles) between Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, and Paris, France, in 33 hours, 30 minutes. When he landed at Le Bourget Field in Paris, Lindbergh became a world hero who would remain in the public eye for decades. Following his historic New York to Paris flight, Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis returned to the United States aboard the USS Memphis, arriving at Washington, D. C. on June 11, 1927. Two days later, on June 13, he flew in the Spirit of St. Louis to New York City where he was honored with a tickertape parade. Celebrations continued on June 14 with the "WE" banquet at the Hotel Commodore sponsored by the Mayor's Committee on Receptions. On June 16, Raymond Orteig presented the prize check to Lindbergh during a tea held at the Hotel Brevoort. Later that evening Lindbergh proceeded on to a dinner held in his honor at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America.

The Hotel Brevoort, located on Fifth Avenue between 8th and 9th Streets, New York City, was demolished in 1954. Colonel George W. Burleigh, Vice-Chairman of the Raymond Orteig Prize and emcee of the testimonial dinner, was the great uncle of the donor.

Related Materials

Program from the June 14, 1927, "WE" banquet at the Hotel Commodore sponsored by the Mayor's Committee on Receptions: Charles A. Lindbergh Banquet Program, NASM.XXXX.0362.

Program from the June 16, 1927, dinner at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria sponsored by the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce of America, Inc.: Charles A. Lindbergh Dinner Menu, NASM.XXXX.0542.

Check, Orteig Prize, Charles A. Lindbergh, A19670152000.