Known in commercial aviation circles as the “Granddad of United Airlines,” Gorst, a former Coos Bay resident, knew how to move the mail. Though he began with ground transport in 1904, Gorst realized the potential in air transport and received the first Pacific Coast Air Mail contract in 1925 to deliver the mail through the auspices of his Pacific Air Transport company. He later merged Boeing Air Transport, Pacific Air Transport, Varney Air Lines and National Air Transport into one organization known as United Airlines to fly the Pacific Coast routes. Gorst’s award is posthumous.

top