▁and ▁Corn el ius ▁C off ey . ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁woman ▁in ▁a ▁class ▁with ▁ 2 4 ▁black ▁men . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁she ▁provided ▁$ 6 0 0 ▁of ▁her ▁own ▁money ▁to ▁buy ▁the ▁school ' s ▁first ▁air plane , ▁and ▁helped ▁in ▁building ▁the ▁school ' s ▁own ▁air field ▁in ▁Rob b ins , ▁Illinois . ▁In ▁the ▁summer ▁she ▁lear nt ▁flying ▁and ▁obtained ▁her ▁private ▁pilot ' s ▁license . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁she ▁applied ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Women ▁Air force ▁Service ▁Pil ots ▁( W AS P ) ▁program . ▁When ▁she ▁went ▁in ▁for ▁an ▁interview , ▁Eth el ▁She e hy , ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁W AS P , ▁denied ▁her ▁an ▁interview ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁black . ▁A ▁few ▁weeks ▁later , ▁she ▁received ▁a ▁re jection ▁letter ▁from ▁Jac qu eline ▁C och ran , ▁head ▁of ▁W AS P , ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁reason . ▁Her ▁application ▁to ▁the ▁military ▁nur se ▁corps ▁was ▁rejected , ▁also ▁on ▁ra cial ▁grounds . ▁She ▁then ▁travel led ▁to ▁a ▁flight ▁school ▁in ▁T usk eg ee , ▁Alabama , ▁and ▁completed ▁the ▁Civil ian ▁Pil ot ▁Training ▁Program . ▁She ▁was ▁denied ▁a ▁pilot ' s ▁license ▁in ▁Alabama , ▁for ▁being ▁a ▁" color ed ▁girl ", ▁but ▁managed ▁to ▁receive ▁a ▁license ▁at ▁Pal - W au kee ▁Field , ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁B rag g ▁was ▁involved