Jeanne Hann Pedigo
An Aeronautical Engineer by, education, training, and profession, Jeanne Hann Pedigo has had a fascinating and highly successful career. A 1946 graduate of Andrew Lewis high School, she was an exceptional student with a near record in scholastic participation that included: Beta Club; Latin Club; Girls Reserves; Choral Club; Operetta; Basketball; Tennis; Softball; Student Council; N.F.L.; Annual Staff; and Editor of the newspaper.
In 1949, Jeanne graduated with honors from Lincoln Memorial University, majoring in mathematics and Spanish with minors in physics, English, and history. Joining the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA Forerunner), she became intrigued with aviation and earned an Advanced Aeronautical Engineering Degree in California.
At the outbreak of the Korean Conflict, Jeanne was recruited by North American Aviation in California as a thermodynamicist involved with research on the F-86 SaberJet and the F-100 SuperSaber jet fighters. She later transferred to the Missile Research Program as a Service Analyst and Technical Editor for the Stellar Supervised Guidance System Research Program.
Marriage to a Roanoke business owner brought her back to Virginia where she raised her family and helped with her husband’s business. In 1970, Governor Holton appointed Jeanne to the Virginia Airports Authority, later renamed the Virginia Aviation Board, which has regulatory and financial responsibility for aviation in Virginia. She was re-appointed by governors’ Godwin and Dalton. In 1981 Dalton appointed her Chairman of the Board, the first and only woman to hold that post; to which she was re-appointed in 1982 by Governor Robb. It was during these years that Jeanne also obtained additional education in Aviation Management and Transportation at Auburn University and Virginia Western Community College.
In 1986, she resigned from the Virginia Aviation Board to become Director of Business Planning for Campbell & Paris Engineers, a Northern Virginia Civil Engineering firm that designs and builds aviation facilities in North America and the Caribbean. She still holds this post while maintaining her residence in Roanoke.
Her professional memberships include the National Association of State Aviation Officials, Southeast Airport Managers Association, American Association of Airport Executives, Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society, and the Air Force Association. Honors include being listed twice in Who’s Who of American Women, being named a member of the Government/Industry Task Force on Aircraft Misfueling, induction into the Professional Hall of Fame At Lincoln Memorial University, and being appointed to a seat on the Washington Airports Task Force Advisory Board.
Jeanne resides in Roanoke with her husband, William T. Pedigo. They have two daughters, Linda Jean Pedigo of Alexandria and JoAnn Pedigo Crouch of Salem.
In recognition of her outstanding career achievements, Jeanne Hann Pedigo was among those inducted in 1997 into the Salem Alumni Hall of Fame established by the Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association.
