Trippe, Juan (Terry) (1899-1981)

US airline executive. In 1923 he organized Long Island Airways, which became Pan American Airways in 1927. Under his strong leadership, the company compiled many firsts, including flying across the Atlantic and the Pacific, using American-made jets commercially and offering round-the-world service in 1947. After World War II he championed low-cost air fares and introduced two classes. In 1966 he ordered the first 747s. He retired as CEO in 1968. Trippe was born in Sea Bright, New Jersey. He graduated from Yale in 1922, after having flown with the navy.