Robert Forman Six (June 25, 1907 – October 6, 1986) was the CEO of Continental Airlines from 1936 to 1980. Beginning his career in the early days of commercial aviation in the United States, his time as Continental Airlines CEO saw it become one of the largest and most profitable legacy airlines in the world.
According to Maverick: The Story of Robert F. Six and Continental Airlines, "Six was one of the last members of the group of innovators, pioneers, and visionaries (including Juan Trippe, William A. Patterson, Jack Frye, C.R. Smith, and Eddie Rickenbacker) who built the U.S. airline industry into what it is today." Six saw his own airline grow from a small, three-stop operation into a major global network airline with services spanning the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia-Pacific region, and Latin America.
Early years
Born in Stockton, California, Six graduated from Weber Grammar School before dropping out of high school at age 17.
Robert Six started his business career in sales for a public utility company, but was fired for taking flying lessons on company time. Six learned to fly in an Alexander Eaglerock biplane with an OX-5 engine. After about 10 hours aloft, he received pilot's license (number 5772) in 1929, at the age of 22. In that same year, he bought an OX-5-powered Travel Air biplane from Walter Beech, founding the Valley Flying Service which sold scenic rides to passengers and was used to race on weekends.
Though many credit Six with being the founder of Continental Airlines, the airline's history dates back to 1934 when it was founded as Varney Speed Lines by Walter Varney and Louis Mueller. Mueller gained control of the carrier in 1936 and sold 40% of the company to Six. In July 1937, Robert Six changed the name of Varney Speed Lines to Continental Airlines and the carrier moved its headquarters to Denver, Colorado, which would become the airline's central hub for the next 55 years.
World War II and the postwar years
During the 1940s and 1950s, Continental Airlines, led by Six, was able to expand its fleet of aircraft using profits from World War II where it provided air transportation to the military. Continental also performed military aircraft modification work at its Denver maintenance facilities. Six spent some time during the war in the United States Army Air Corps and was involved in improving routes to ferry American aircraft to the European theater, a significant improvement over the original routes which had seen aircraft losses due to weather. He returned to Continental before the war ended and resumed his leadership role.
In 1951, Six met Broadway star Ethel Merman in a New York city nightclub. Following a courtship, they married in 1953, where Merman took a hiatus from her Broadway career and moved to Colorado with Six, settling into a 27-room mansion near Denver, in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Six and Merman divorced in 1960.
In 1953, Continental merged with Pioneer Airlines, gaining access to 16 more cities in Texas and New Mexico. This merger allowed Continental Airlines to operate routes between Texas and Colorado/New Mexico, connecting with the line's Denver-Albuquerque-El Paso services.
Dramatic expansion and move to Los Angeles
By the end of the 1950s, Continental Airlines had seen a broad expansion of its routes. In 1957, it flew for the first time from Chicago to Los Angeles (both non-stop and via Denver), and from Denver and Los Angeles to Kansas City. Continental was one of the first operators of the Boeing 707, taking its first delivery of 707s in the spring of 1959. Six, not being satisfied with jet service alone, dramatically improved services with Continental's 707 operations, which were described as "nothing short of luxurious" by the Los Angeles Times, and, "clearly, the finest in the airline industry" by the Chicago Tribune.
In 1961, Six married Hollywood star Audrey Meadows of The Honeymooners television fame after meeting her in Honolulu. She served as an advisory director on Continental's board, offering many of the suggestions that made Continental's in-flight and ground services preeminent. The Six family was socially prominent in Beverly Hills, California, where they lived. Meadows' television and acting career helped the Sixes meet prominent Hollywood stars such as John Wayne, Henry Fonda, James Stewart, and Bob Hope. The couple spent many weekends at their Lazy 6 Ranch near Montrose, Colorado, where Hollywood stars were frequent guests.