e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia Online

Rose Agnes Rolls Cousins

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Rose Agnes Rolls Cousins of Fairmont was the first Black woman to become a solo pilot in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at West Virginia State College (now University). She mastered advanced flying maneuvers and completed a solo cross-country flight to earn her pilot’s license. Despite her achievements, she was rejected by the Tuskegee Airmen program due to her gender, reflecting the challenges women face in male-dominated fields.