A Conversation with Alice M. Dear – Reflections on Flying, Business, and Breaking Barriers

Host: Dr. Sheila E. Nutt 

Guest: Ambassador Alice M. Dear, MBA – Pan Am Blackbird, Former U.S. Executive 

Director of the African Development Bank, President of A.M. Dear and Associates, and 

Chair of Directors of Women’s eNews. Current member of the International Planning 

Committee of Global Summit of Women, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Howard University Alumni Club of Greater New York City, and Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

Episode Overview: 

In this special episode of Sheila N' Her Fab Friends, Dr. Sheila E. Nutt engages in a captivating conversation with the honorable Alice M. Dear, a trailblazing Pan Am Blackbird and Ambassador of the United States who made history in aviation and beyond. She shares her inspiring journey from Gary, Indiana, to the skies as one of Pan Am’s first Black stewardesses, and later to a distinguished career in business and international relations. 

Ambassador Dear reflects on the pivotal moments that shaped her life, from her transformative education at Howard University to embracing opportunities that led her to see the world. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of breaking barriers during the golden age of aviation, daring moments in early Boeing 747 flights—such as managing engine fires and turbulent storms over Africa—to her bold transition into banking and becoming the U.S. Executive Director of the African Development Bank under President Clinton, Dear’s life exemplifies resilience, courage, and determination. Her incredible journey provides a unique lens into the intersecting histories of aviation, civil rights, and women’s empowerment. Her story is both a personal triumph and a reflection of broader societal progress, offering invaluable lessons on breaking barriers and embracing new opportunities. 

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