S. Maxine Simmer (1907-1987) First Sister to Fly a Plane, Second Sister to receive B.A. in Chemistry at CSB
Sister Maxine (Juanita Marie) Simmer was born on August 25, 1907, to Matthew and Marie (Monroe) in Lenox, Iowa. She entered the community in 1925 and received her B.A. in chemistry in 1929 from the College of St. Benedict. She was the second sister to obtain her chemistry degree at the college. She received her M.S. from Marquette University (date unknown). From 1930 to 1948, she taught chemistry, physics, mathematics, and/or aeronautics at the College of Saint Benedict and at High Schools in St. Cloud and Cold Spring. She was selected to participate in a program with 165 other science teachers around the state to attend the University of Minnesota in 1942. Preflight Aviation became a part of the high school curriculum to meet a national emergency of trained pilots. When she taught aeronautics at St. Cloud Cathedral, she often took them to the airport to learn firsthand the intricacies of airplanes and their operation. Each student would get permission to go up on a plane at least once during the course. The goal of the course was to expose students to the vocations associated with flight, such as meteorology, mechanics, ground crew workers, and inspectors. She was the first sister to receive her pilot's license, taking classes at the University of Minnesota in the summer of 1946. She soloed her first flight after only 7 hours and 45 minutes of dual instruction, typically this would not be until after 12-15 hours. She was given special permission to fly with her habit on, which prevented her from wearing a parachute.
She joined St. Bede's priory in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as a charter member in 1948 and taught at St. Patrick's and Regis High Schools in teaching physics, chemistry, and aeronautics. Sister Maxine gained national recognition as the first member of a religious community in the United States to receive a pilot's license, even before she drove a car.
In addition to aviation, Sister Maxine also enjoyed music and played the violin since she was 12. One of her hobbies was making a fiddle out of maple wood.
