Irene Craigmile Bolam

Irene Craigmile Bolam

Irene Craigmile Bolam c.1980
Born October 1, 1904
Newark, New Jersey
Died July 7, 1982
Bedford, New Jersey
Occupation Banker
homemaker
Spouse Guy Bolam
Charles Craigmile
Alvin Heller
Parents Richard J. O'Crowley and Bridget Doyle O'Crowley

Irene Craigmile Bolam (October 1, 1904 – July 7, 1982) was a New York banker and resident of Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey.[1][2] In 1970, a book which was soon widely discredited set forth an allegation that she was Amelia Earhart. Bolam denied the claim and took legal action against the publisher, resulting in the book being withdrawn.[3]

Contents

Amelia Earhart Lives

In 1965, Major Joseph Gervais had a chance encounter with Bolam, believing she was Earhart. Using Gervais' research, author Joe Klaas documented this assertion in his book Amelia Earhart Lives (1970). Bolam denied being Earhart, filed a $1.5 million lawsuit and submitted a lengthy affidavit refuting the claim.[3] The book's publisher McGraw-Hill pulled Klaas' book from the market shortly after it was released and court records indicate they made an out of court settlement with her.[4]

Bolam's personal life history has since been thoroughly documented, eliminating any possibility she was Earhart. Evidence presented in the affidavit included her 1937 private pilot's license and marriage certificate. Her personal life was also a matter of public record. Born Irene Madalaine O'Crowley, she married Charles Craigmile and on his death, married Alvin Heller but was subsequently divorced from Heller c. 1939. She remarried to Guy Bolam in 1959. Although Irene Craigmile Bolam was a pilot, her main career revolved around banking and finance in New York. Brother-in-law John Bolam said, "She was influential, knew many well-placed people and was well-traveled."[5] Many mutual friends such as air racer Elinor Smith also knew both Earhart and Bolam.

On Bolam's death, Gervais sought permission to photograph and fingerprint the body, but permission was denied.[6] In 2006, Criminal forensic expert Kevin Richlin was hired by National Geographic to study photographs of Earhart and Bolam and cited many measurable facial differences between them, concluding that the two people were not the same.[7]

References

Notes

  1. ^ "Will the Real Amelia...", Time (magazine), November 23, 1970. Retrieved: November 27, 2007. "The woman they name as Amelia is Mrs. Guy Bolam, widow of a businessman and now living in Monroe Township, N.J."
  2. ^ "New Earhart Book Called 'Nonsense'", The New York Times, November 11, 1970. Quote: "Mrs. Bolam, who lives in the Leisure World retirement community in Monroe Township, N. J., said she had met Mr. Gervais, a retired Army major, at a meeting of plane enthusiasts..."
  3. ^ a b Strippel 1995, p. 52.
  4. ^ Gillespie, Ric. "Is This Amelia Earhart?" The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, 2009. Retrieved: July 2, 2009.
  5. ^ Associated Press. "Investigators continue work on puzzle." Atchison Globe . Retrieved: October 13, 2009.
  6. ^ Strippel 1995, p. 53.
  7. ^ "The Amelia Earhart Conspiracy: The Mysterious Disappearance of the Flying Legend." mymultiplesclerosis.co.uk, April 19, 2009. Retrieved: October 13, 2009.

Bibliography

  • Glines, C.V. "'Lady Lindy': The Remarkable Life of Amelia Earhart." Aviation History, July 1997.
  • Goldstein, Donald M. and Katherine V. Dillon. Amelia: The Centennial Biography of an Aviation Pioneer. Washington, DC: Brassey's, 1997. ISBN 1-57488-134-5.
  • Hoverstein, Paul. "An American Obsession". Air & Space Smithsonian, Vol. 22, No. 2, June/July 2007.
  • Klaas, Joe. Amelia Earhart Lives. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1970. ISBN 0-07035-010-8.
  • Strippel, Richard G. Amelia Earhart: The Myth and the Reality. New York: Exposition Press, 1972. ISBN 0-682-47447-9.
  • Strippel, Richard G. "Researching Amelia: A Detailed Summary for the Serious Researcher into the Disappearance of Amelia Earhart." Air Classics, Vol. 31, No. 11, November 1995.

External links