Marlon Green

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Marlon D. Green (b. 1929) was the first black pilot hired by a major passenger airline in the United States. Following a unanimous decision by the United States Supreme Court in 1963, he was hired by Continental Airlines and flew with them from 1965 to 1978.

1 Air Force Career
2 Court Fight
3 Airline Career
4 References

[edit] Air Force Career

Captain Green left the United States Air Force after nine years' service in 1957, having logged 3,071 hours in multi-engine bombers and cargo planes. His last posting was flying SA-16 amphibians with the 36th Air Rescue Squadron at Johnson Air Force Base in Tokyo, Japan.

[edit] Court Fight

On leaving the Air Force, Green applied to at least ten U.S. airlines for a pilot's position. He was turned down by all due to his color.

Finally, Green applied to Denver's Continental Air Lines, leaving blank the place in the form marked "racial identity" and deliberately failing to send along the two requested photographs. He was summoned for flight tests. He was the most experienced of the five applicants on flight test, but was not offered the job.

Green filed a complaint under a Colorado anti-discrimination law and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Commission ruled in his favor. This decision was then challenged by Continental. While the case was in process, Green worked as a pilot ferrying VIPs for the Michigan highway department until he resigned in protest over inadequate bad-weather navigation equipment on state planes. To support his (white) wife and children, he then went to work cleaning milk cans in a dairy.

The Denver District Court and subsequently the Colorado Supreme Court found against Green, ruling that the state had "no business trying to impose its laws on carriers in interstate commerce". Green took his case to the United States Supreme Court, and in April 1963 SCOTUS unanimously overturned the Colorado decision, ruling: "We hold that the Colorado statute as applied here to prevent discrimination in hiring . . . does not impose a constitutionally prohibited burden upon interstate commerce."

[edit] Airline Career

He joined Continental in 1965, flying Vickers Viscounts out of Denver, and flew with Continental until 1978, becoming a Captain in 1966. Green's victory paved the way for African American and other pilots of color to be hired by commercial airlines.