Howard “Skippy” Smith was an African American stunt pilot and entrepreneur. Smith opened his Pacific Parachute Company, which sewed and packed parachutes for the military, and earned the title of “Top Black Owned Business in the United States” in 1943 from Time magazine. Smith employed one of the few integrated workforces in San Diego, which included Filipinos, Asians, whites, Latinos, and Blacks.
Pictured Above: Howard “Skippy” Smith and his integrated workforce, 1943
