Levitt Ellsworth Custer

Levitt Ellsworth Custer
Custer circa 1912
Born	(1863-06-18)June 18, 1863 Perrysville, Ohio
Died	January 3, 1924(1924-01-03) (aged 60)
Education	Otterbein University
Children	Levitt Luzern Custer
Parent	Isaac Newton Custer

Levitt Ellsworth Custer (June 18, 1863 - January 3, 1924) was an Ohio dentist and competitive balloonist.^[1][2]

Biography

He was born on June 18, 1863, in Perrysville, Ohio, to Isaac Newton Custer, a dentist. He attended the public schools in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and Westerville, Ohio. He saved for college from 1878 to 1879 by playing the cornet with a river circus band that traveled from Cincinnati, Ohio, to New Orleans, Louisiana. Then attended Otterbein University and graduated in 1884. He then attended the Ohio College of Dental Surgery in 1885.^[1]

He married Effie Zimmerman, and had as his son, inventor Levitt Luzern Custer.^[3] Custer received a single patent himself, awarded in 1905, for a "Shield and Support for X-Ray Tubes".^[4]

In 1912 Custer took part piloting the Cole in the annual National Elimination balloon race, held by the Aero Club of America.^[5] Custer died on January 3, 1924.^[1]

References

1. "Dr. L. E. Custer: Dedicated to His Profession". Dayton History Books. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
2. "Baloonists" (PDF). New York Times. July 30, 1912. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
3. "Dayton - Miami Valley Inventors and Inventions". Wright State University. Archived from the original on 2004-02-27. Retrieved 2009-08-03.
4. not, as sources claim, an aerial torpedo patented in 1909; "US794788A". Google Patent. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
5. "Dayton Balloonist to Pilot Bag in Big Race". Dayton (Ohio) Daily News via newspapers.com (subscription only). 26 July 1912. Retrieved 24 July 2020.