Lucky Bag Yearbook

From the 1949 Lucky Bag:

John T. Dolan

Some say that John fell asleep going to Washington one summer day of ‘45, and awoke to find himself within the walls. Nevertheless, not one to let an unexpected opportunity slip through his grasp, “Sleepy” entered into the matter with a will, and set an enviable mark in academics. While equally proficient in athletic and social fields, John, early in his career found himself decidedly in favor of the latter, and seldom a weekend passed that this son of Erin via Oklahoma wasn’t seen with the lady of the hour. Ever with an eye for fun, John could often be found participating in the antics that made the life of the execs one of constant duress. Now that Sleepy has terminated his Academy days, he has his sights set on Naval Aviation, where he will continue with the gentlemanly good will that has so marked his days here.

Loss

John was lost when his F-101 Voodoo jet fighter crashed near Edwards AFB, California, on December 16, 1955.

From Aviation Safety Network:

Captain John T. Dolan died while on a routine test flight out of Edwards AFB in F-101A Voodoo 53-2437. Captain Dolan, on his first check-flight, suffered a severe pitch up at 35,000 ft and entered a flat spin. He stayed with his aircraft while trying to recover. The recovery effort failed and he hit the desert floor in a flat spin and with no forward airspeed.

Other Information

From researcher Kathy Franz:

John graduated from Classen high school in 1944: Honor Math. He then entered Notre Dame. His brother James also attended Notre Dame in the NROTC program.

John served three years in Germany before being stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California in early 1955.

He was a member of the Catholic church. In addition to his wife and parents, he was survived by two brothers, James and Lieutenant Robert, stationed with the army in Texas. His father, Raymond G., was secretary-treasurer of the Tom Dolan Heating Company which his grandfather Tom was president and owner.

He was a graduate of the USAF Experimental Flight Test Pilot School.

He was survived by his wife, Nadine, and his parents. He is buried in Oklahoma.

John is not mentioned in the 1949 Class History.

Photographs

From his high school yearbook