Who Was Carl Hayden? Carl Hayden was born in the Territory of Arizona. His first political job was as the sheriff of Maricopa County. He was the first Arizona sheriff to catch bank robbers by using the automobile. When Arizona became a state in 1912, Carl Hayden was elected to the House of Representatives. He would continue to work in Washington, D.C. serving the people of Arizona in both the house and senate until 1969. One of his many efforts resulted in the building of the Central Arizona Canal. His story is one of the great stories of Arizona. Who were some of Arizona’s first heros? On April 16, 1917, the United States entered World War I. Twelve thousand Arizonans volunteered or were drafted into the Army. One of America’s most famous fliers was Frank Luke Jr. Frank Joseph Anthony Luke Jr. was born on May 19, 1897, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1917 he graduated from Phoenix Union High School. When the United States entered World War I, Frank Luke Jr. quickly joined the United States Army. Flying seemed to be an easy skill for Frank to learn. He made his first solo flight in November 1917. Soon Frank Luke Jr. found himself in combat in the skies over France. In the two months that he flew combat, he shot down fourteen German observation balloons. He also downed four enemy airplanes. American pilots soon called him “the Great Balloon Buster.” On September 29, 1918, Frank Luke Jr. was forced to land his plane behind German lines. He refused to surrender to German troops. He was killed defending himself. In 1930 the American Society for the Promotion of Aviation named Arizona’s Frank Luke Jr. America’s greatest air hero. A statue of Frank Luke Jr. stands in front of the Arizona State Capitol building. This statue in honor of Frank Luke Jr. is found at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona. Chapter 9 • Becoming a State  97