Getting to Know Maria

Maria Morrison’s first volunteering experience at the Port Townsend Aero Museum was many years ago on the day of our annual fundraising dinner auction event. She was ten years old! She worked the entire afternoon and evening helping with the event, keeping pace with the kids twice her age. In the weeks following, Maria joined our ranks as our newest youth volunteer, showing up at least once a week where she would spend a full day (7 hours)

helping to restore aircraft, maintain aircraft, give tours, teach ground school, run the front desk of our display building and mentor the young volunteers following in her footsteps. Maria is now 22 years old, and in the time from her waiting tables at her first PTAM dinner auction event to present day, she has earned her private pilots certificate, multi-engine rating, float rating, ground school instructor certificate, and mastered the art of covering an aircraft with new fabric among many other aviation maintenance skills. In her life outside of aviation and the Port Townsend Aero Museum, Maria received a scholarship to Duke University where she is graduating this year with honors. In her time at Duke, Maria served as one of the youngest editors ever on the Duke Chronicle newspaper. This last summer Maria was accepted in Harvard Law School, where she will begin her study of law. I’m hopeful her law degree from Harvard will have an aviation slant, because we sure could use some one like Maria on our side!

Maria is the eldest of two daughters, whose parents are Linda and Neil Morrison of Port Townsend. Linda is retired from the airline industry and currently works part time as a flight instructor at 0S9. Neil is a 747 captain for UPS where he flies international freight when he isn’t flying or working on the EAA B-17 or at home with his family.

Editor’s Note: Maria was our tour guide at the PT Aero Museum when EAA 430 members spent the afternoon enjoying the many antique airplanes. We also got to see the area where the kids do the restoration of the planes and the paint shop where the finish work is done on the planes.