Broadwick, Tiny (1893–1978)
Broadwick, Tiny (1893–1978)
American parachutist. Name variations: Georgia Broadwick; Georgia Ann Thompson; Georgia Ann Thompson Brown. Born Georgia Ann Thompson, April 8, 1893, near Oxford, Granville Co., North Carolina; died Aug 1978 in Long Beach, California; adopted by Charles Broadwick.
Known as Tiny for her diminutive build (4 feet tall, weighing 85 pounds), suffered broken bones, made landings in swamps and was dragged by her parachute as she made more than 1,100 jumps during her career (many while wearing a silk dress and bloomers with ruffles); at 15, joined Charles Broadwick who had a parachuting act with the James J. Jones Carnival; jumped primarily in aerial barnstorming shows where she was billed as The Doll Girl; was the 1st woman to jump from an aircraft (June 21, 1913), 1st woman to jump from a hydro aeroplane, and 1st woman to make a water jump from an airplane; was also the 1st person to make a premeditated freefall jump (1914), which took place while she was presenting the 1st parachute-jump demonstration to US government; made jumps at San Diego World's Fair (1915, 1916 and 1922); inducted into Curtis Hall of Fame. A parachute and pack used by Broadwick were given to the Smithsonian Institute.
See also Elizabeth Whitley Roberson, Tiny Broadwick: The First Lady of Parachuting (Pelican, 2001).