Greater Cincinnati Chapter History 

Audrey Melenyk Cook had a conversation with the All-Ohio Chairman that there were a lot of women in the Cincinnati area, and Audrey was willing to form a new chapter.  She had come from the Greater Detroit Area Chapter and had only been in Cincinnati for a year or two.  So she assembled a meeting of interested parties.  After a few months of meetings, the members decided to go with it.  There were a dozen or so, and they met at Lunken Airport.

On June 21, 1986 the Greater Cincinnati Chapter was officially chartered. The initiating members were Margot Ann Brooks, Nancy Lee Brooks, Catherine B. Crozier, Sally Jo Ann D’Alessandro, Caroline Ferris, Betty Jeanne Goodman, Mary Barbara Kaes, Audrey Ann Melenyk, Margaret Jane Rayls, Marilyn L. Ritter, and Robbin Kay Sheppard.  Betty Goodman is still a member in 2009.

The Greater Cincinnati 99s held their first Poker Run on June 5, 1988 with Robbin Shepherd as Chairman.  The airports included Hamilton, OH; Cincinnati West; and three Indiana airports - North Vernon, Connersville, and Richmond.  The chapter has continued sponsoring the poker runs periodically over the years.

In 1989, the Women’s Air Derby commemorating the 60th anniversary of the 99s stopped at Lunken Airport.  The Cincinnati Post ran an article on Monday, August 21, 1989 featuring the Women’s Air Derby and Carol Ferris “still flying high at the age of 80”.

In 2002 when the chapter hosted the North Central Section meeting, the chapter was honored to have a condensed performance of a play about Amelia Earhart called “Earhart”.  The Ensemble Theater of Cincinnati had done the two-person play during their regular season in 2000, and the Producing Artistic Director Lynn Meyers was most generous to have the actress come in from Chicago to perform for the banquet entertainment.

Last updated: 01/23/2010