A Commanding Woman

Sometimes an archival item unlocks an interesting story. Shown here is a postcard, circa 1940, from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society archives, which is described as “Fresh Water Lake in Glynn Haven, St. Simons Island, Georgia.” On the reverse, the horseback rider on the left is identified as Louisa Spruance.

A native of Delaware, born in 1912, Louisa Spruance Morse and her family had a long association with Sea Island and St. Simons Island. Later in life, she was a loyal and generous member of the Historical Society. In 1989, Morse donated a collection of postcards, booklets, objects, and other studied to become an aviation ground instructor and was certified by the Civil Aeronautics Authority. In 1942, she joined the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and began teaching pilots the basics of navigation, meteorology, and civil air regulations. She rose through the ranks from private to colonel, eventually serving as the commander of the Delaware Wing from 1953 to 1976. She was the first woman to serve on the CAP National Executive Committee and was inducted into the Civil Air Patrol Hall of Honor in 1982. Following active service, she founded the CAP National Historical Committee and became the first national historian of the organization. The archives research and storage facility in Washington, D.C. is named in her honor. It contains information about the CAP Coastal Patrol items related to local history. As a volunteer, she is credited with creating the first computer database of Society collections, a task she undertook when she was in her eighties.

Researching Louisa’s earlier life reveals the significant accomplishments of this lifelong Delaware resident. At the beginning of World War II, she

Among the items Morse donated to the Society is a monograph on the St. Simons CAP base, produced by the National Historical Committee. She also

Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.