Kim Emmons Knor
Kim Emmons Knor, D-221, knew she wanted to skydive when she was five years old after her uncle brought home a military parachute from World War II. In 1959, she forged her parents’ signatures so she could make her first jump. She then sold all her possessions, bought a Eurail Pass and an open-ended plane ticket so she could travel as a parachute enthusiast, visiting 21 countries. She was one of only two women to compete against the men at the 1961 Team Tryouts at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In 1962, she made history as a member of the first U.S. Women’s Parachute Team, which won gold at the Sixth World Parachuting Championships in Orange, MA. After a 37-year hiatus from jumping, she took up the sport again in 2003.
Date of First Jump: 1959
