Paul Revere Braniff (August 30, 1897 – June 1, 1954) was an airline entrepreneur. Braniff was one of the original founders of Braniff International Airways. He served as a mechanic in World War I in the United States Army and then as a pilot in World War II. Early years and family Paul Revere Braniff was born in Kansas City, Kansas. He was the younger brother of Thomas Elmer Braniff. He grew up during the early era of aviation, and, as a youngster, became fascinated with the new way of transport. His family moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in 1900. Marriage Braniff married Marie Agnes Maney on April 29, 1920. Marie Agnes Maney was born on May 2, 1898, in El Reno, Oklahoma. She was the daughter of James W. Maney, who was an Oklahoma Territory Pioneer. He built thousands of miles of railroads throughout the Western United States. His occupation was Civil Engineer and was President of the Clinton and Western Oklahoma Railroad and founded a chain of grain elevators in the Enid, Oklahoma, area. Marie Maney grew up at Maney House in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, that is now a historically protected property. She attended and graduated from schools in Baltimore, Maryland. Marie Braniff was highly interested in her husband's work. When he founded Paul R. Braniff, Inc. and then its successor Braniff Airways, Inc., she traveled with him scouting new routes. Her love for Paul and his aviation interests led her to compile a very detailed archive on the history of Braniff Airways. She remained highly interested and involved in the preservation of Braniff history even after Paul Braniff's death in 1954. They had one child, John Paul Braniff, who was born on October 29, 1927. John Braniff died in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on February 1, 2013, at the age of 85. Military service Braniff joined the United States Army during World War I as a mechanic and private on July 6, 1917. He went to France, becoming a corporal, then a temporary sergeant. In France, he learned to shoot, becoming an avid gunman, although he never used this ability outside of the military. Oklahoma Aero Club and Paul R. Braniff, Inc. After being honorably discharged from the Army, Paul Braniff joined his brother Tom in an insurance company that carried the family's name. Paul Braniff, however, kept dreaming about aviation all along and received his pilot's license