William E. Boeing

American businessman

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June 23, 2026

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William E. Boeing was an American businessman who founded the Boeing Company, originally named the Aero Products Company, in 1916. He and U.S. Navy officer Conrad Westervelt developed the B&W seaplane, marking the beginning of his aviation ventures.1

The company, renamed Boeing Airplane Company in 1917, initially built flying boats for the U.S. Navy during World War I. In the 1920s and 1930s, it expanded its offerings to include various military aircraft. William Boeing also ventured into airmail services, forming Boeing Airplane & Transport Corporation in 1928, which later evolved into United Airlines after a corporate restructuring due to antitrust legislation.12

The Boeing Company became a leading manufacturer of commercial jet transports and military aircraft, helicopters, space vehicles, and missiles. Its notable commercial aircraft include the 707, 737, and the 747 "Jumbo Jet".1

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Boeing Company
History of Boeing Company
…when the American timber merchant William E. Boeing founded Aero Products Company shortly after he and U.S. Navy officer Conrad Westervelt developed a single-engine, two-seat seaplane, the B&W. Renamed Boeing Airplane Company in 1917, the enterprise built “flying boats” for the Navy during World War I, and in the 1920s…
Read More
…when the American timber merchant William E. Boeing founded Aero Products Company shortly after he and U.S. Navy officer Conrad Westervelt developed a single-engine, two-seat seaplane, the B&W. Renamed Boeing Airplane Company in 1917, the enterprise built “flying boats” for the Navy during World War I, and in the 1920s…
Read More

William Patterson
and Boeing Air Transport) and W.E. Boeing (chairman of the Boeing companies and the United Aircraft and Transport Corp.) to purchase Pacific Air Transport. Pacific and Boeing merged to form United Airlines, with Patterson as general manager and later as president. United flights eventually spanned the nation from coast to…
Read More
and Boeing Air Transport) and W.E. Boeing (chairman of the Boeing companies and the United Aircraft and Transport Corp.) to purchase Pacific Air Transport. Pacific and Boeing merged to form United Airlines, with Patterson as general manager and later as president. United flights eventually spanned the nation from coast to…
Read More