agent in 1974 why he flew Continental wherever he could, Hollywood legend Henry Fonda remarked, "This operation is class; strictly class!" During the 1970s, Continental's 747 service was short-lived, the airline having concluded that the DC-10 was better suited to the route structure and passenger loads. Triumph and loss After the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, like many U.S. carriers, Continental expanded rapidly. Within two years, new nonstop services from its Denver and Houston–Intercontinental hubs included: New York–LaGuardia, New York–JFK, Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington–National, Washington–Dulles, Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Dallas Fort Worth, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Milwaukee, St Louis, Las Vegas, Reno, San Jose (CA), and San Francisco, as well as many smaller cities in the Midwest and western U.S., and new international routes to London–Gatwick, Tokyo–Narita, Manila, Sydney, and Melbourne, and more destinations in Mexico than served by any other carrier. This rapid growth required the expansion of Continental's existing fleet of 747, DC-10, 727-200, and DC-9 aircraft with large numbers of MD-80, 737-model and Airbus aircraft, and the formation of alliances with larger commuter airlines in Houston and Denver to serve smaller communities in the Rockies, Plains, and Southwest. In 1981, Texas Air Corporation, controlled by airline industry entrepreneur Frank Lorenzo, acquired a controlling interest in Continental Airlines following a contentious battle for control with Continental's management, including Six and then-CEO Al Feldman, who were adamant in their resistance to Lorenzo. Continental's labor unions joined the antitakeover battle because of their fears over "Lorenzo's deregulation tactics" and his prior dealings with airline labor unions. However, Texas Air prevailed, and in June 1982, Texas International Airlines, controlled by Texas Air, was merged into Continental Airlines. Texas International ceased to exist, but the new Continental moved its headquarters to Houston, home of Texas Air. In spite of labor friction and turmoil resulting from the acquisition, by the time of Six's death in 1986, the airline he molded and forged had become one of the largest airlines in the U.S. Continental's innovative and popular services centered on the busy Denver, Houston, and New York/Newark hubs. Six died in his sleep at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on October 6, 1986. Legacy and honors In 1971, Six was nominated and inducted into the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame. In June 1974, Six was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Colorado at Boulder. He was the 1977