Warren Samuel Eaton – MAHS  1911  Aeronautical Engineer
Warren Eaton had first attempted to fly in an ornithopter in 1908, while associated with Prof. H. Laverne Twining at Manual Arts High School. Success came the following year with a Glider and then with powered machines. With his brother, he established the first aircraft factory in Southern California, and also one of the first flying schools -- a true pioneer if there ever was one. Warren's career was culminated during World War II, when he became a Lt. Col. in the U. S. Air Force. 

Established first flying school in Los Angeles
Co-designed Dehaviland DH-4 Bomber – Only American made Bomber used in WWI
Designed Curtis , Amphibious  Aircraft
Studio set designer – "Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Inventor – Aircraft RDF system (Radio Direction Finder) Radio Compass
12 patents on Navigational Equipment
Advisor to the Boeing Company during WWII – Responsible for B17 standardization
Invented the first electro-cardiograph machine 

Ed Heinemann -MAHS 1926 Self-Taught Aeronatical Engineer; was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but moved to California as a boy and was raised in Los Angeles and attended Manual Arts High School. A self-taught engineer, he joined Douglas Aircraft as a draftsman in 1926, but was laid off within a year. After stints at International Aircraft, Moreland Aircraft, and Northrop, Heinemann re-joined Douglas when it acquired Northrop. Heinemann became Douglas's Chief Engineer in 1936. He remained with the company through 1960, when he left to join Guidance Technology. In 1962 he joined General Dynamics as Corporate Vice President of Engineering. In this position he oversaw the development of the F-16.

During his long career at Douglas, Heinemann designed more than 20 combat aircraft for the US Navy, including many that became legends in their field. His designs included:
* SBD Dauntless dive bomber
* A-20 Havoc attack aircraft
* A-26 Invader attack aircraft
* A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft
* A-3 Skywarrior bomber
* A-4 Skyhawk light bomber
* F3D Skyknight night fighter
* F4D Skyray carrier-based fighter aircraft
* Douglas Skyrocket and Douglas Skystreak

General James Harold Doolittle – MAHS 1914 Aeronautical Engineer
James Harold Doolittle is the most famed member of the Class of 1914 at Los Angeles' Manual Arts High School. In September 1922, he made the first of his many historic aviation feats, flying the first-ever cross-country flight, from Pablo Beach, Fl. to San Diego in 21 hours and 19 minutes, making only one refueling stop at Kelly Field, Texas. In July 1923, after serving as a test pilot and aeronautical engineer at McCook Field, Ohio, Doolittle entered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning his master's degree in 1924. He went on to get the first Ph.D. in Aeronautics awarded by MIT.

During World War II, Doolittle was known as the master of the "calculated risk," applying skill and science to pull off feats that seemed reckless and daring to others. Doolittle lead what was known as "Special Mission No. 1," a secret bombing attack on Japan just four months after the attack at Pearl Harbor. The group launched 16 B-25 bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Pacific -- itself an amazing and first-ever feat -- and attacked several Japanese cities before ditching their aircraft in China or the sea.

He received the Medal of Honor for leading the raid and was promoted from lieutenant colonel to brigadier general, skipping the rank of colonel. After commanding 8th Air Force at the end the European campaign, General Doolittle was moving his command to Okinawa to finish the fight with Japan when the war ended.

Frank Capra – MAHS 1914 –Chemical Engineer
Frank Capra migrated from Sicily in 1903 and attended Manual Arts High School. In 1918, Frank Capra graduated from Throop Institute (now the California Institute of Technology) with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering.
During World War I, Capra enlisted in the United States Army on October 18, 1918. He taught ballistics and mathematics to artillerymen at Fort Winfield Scott in the Presidio of San Francisco. While there, he caught Spanish flu and was medically discharged with the rank of second lieutenant on December 13, 1918.

Frank Capra was commissioned as a major in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II. He produced State of the Union and directed or co-directed eight documentary propaganda films between 1942 and 1948, including the seven-episode U.S. government-commissioned Why We Fight series. Prelude to War won the 1942 Academy Award for Documentary Feature. Capra regarded these films as his most important works. As a colonel, he received the Distinguished Service Medal in 1945.

It's a Wonderful Life (1946) was considered a box office disappointment but it was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Sound Recording and Best Editing. The American Film Institute named it one of the best films ever made, putting it at the top of the list of AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers, a list of what AFI considers to be the most inspirational American movies of all time. The film also appeared in another AFI Top 100 list: it placed at 11th on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies list of the top American films.

The 42 Infintry Division, came to be known as the "Rainbow Division". One explanation for the nickname is that Douglas MacArthur, once Chief of Staff of the 42ID, is credited with the name. When the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, it needed to federalize the state National Guard units to quickly build up an Army. Political concerns soon complicated recruiting, and Secretary of War Newton D. Baker authorized a Division to be organized with the best regiments from 26 different states. Major MacArthur, standing nearby, replied "Fine, that will stretch over the whole country like a rainbow."

The Division saw its first action in February 1918 fighting alongside the French. The battles continued throughout the following months and on July 14, 1918 the final German offensive was contained by the 4th French Army, in which the Rainbow Division played a prominent role at the famous Battle of the Champagne. Many bloody battles and great victories followed until the Germans were finally defeated. Battles included those in the Chateau-Thiery, St. Mihiel; Verdun front and Argonne, where Rainbowmen engaged in the final battle of WW I. German occupation duty followed.