A man stands smiling in front of a ship.

Naval Aviator, Patriot, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist

As a boy, Jay Kislak saw his first military flyby in the early 1930s – and he never forgot it. He later joined the Civilian Pilot Training Program while attending The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated early to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Following three years of active duty with the naval air ferry squadrons (VRF), he served in the Naval Reserve for many years.

Kislak continued piloting into his 90s. He frequently said that the character-building lessons he learned as a naval aviator were the keys to his subsequent accomplishments in life.

The Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air Gallery is made possible through the generous support of the Kislak Family Foundation in honor of Jay Kislak and all World War II veterans.