Jack Frye, Aviation Legend, President Founder, Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc., Trans World Airlines, TWA, Helen Varner Vanderbilt, Deer-Lick Ranch, Smoke Trail Ranch, Howard Hughes, Winslow Airport, Elliott Roosevelt, Faye Emerson

Jack & Helen Frye Story – the Camelot Years of TWA

The Frye Legacy

A Lifetime of Accomplishment

Smoke Trail Ranch 1940’s

By Randall Reynolds

Brand New Website Which Visually Documents the Lives of Jack & Helen Frye

My purpose in creation of this website is to not repeat narrative found in my novel ‘the Jack and Helen Frye Story’ but rather provide readers with images and text to complement the book

To purchase my Biography-Novel-Love Story please click: Jack & Helen Frye Story – the Camelot Years of TWA which is available on Amazon in Softcover or Kindle

The Following Page Under Development

President of TWA and Helen Vanderbilt at Scottsdale Camelback Inn (December 1940)

Jack and Helen Frye at Smoke Trail Ranch shown outside the guest house the Fryes constructed for ranch guests (dwelling is missing today). This structure was below the Frye private residence (Willow House) near the corrals. Howard Hughes stayed here several times when visiting the ranch (he also lodged at the Willow House and the Frye Mansion at Washington D.C.). It is thought he may have captured this image. (early 1940’s)

A beautiful Helen Frye at Deer-Lick Ranch (first Frye land purchase in 1941) Sedona Arizona. Smoke Trail Ranch was second purchase shortly thereafter

Helen and Jack both loved ranch life needless to say this included riding horses. This image was taken at the corral (Deer-Lick Ranch). Frye ranch foreman Walter is shown on left 1941

Jack Frye at his ranch in Sedona, rarely is there an image of Jack without a cigar. (early 1940’s)

Jack at Smoke Trail Ranch with his mother-in-law Maude (early 1940’s)

A stunningly beautiful Helen Frye in her Carmen Miranda outfit with her mother Maude, one of the few images of the Smoke Trail Ranch ranch pre-House of Apache Fire, notice the knoll behind Helen where the legendary house rests today. Thank goodness Jack was an avid photographer or these kind of images would be amiss today. (early 1940’s)

Portrait of Helen Frye, setting is the seaside. This portrait hung at the Willow House (Smoke Trail Ranch) Red Rock State Park, later, at the Frye mansion at Washington D.C., and thereafter, the House of Apache Fire at Smoke Trail Ranch

Image (above) was painted at the Willow House (Smoke Trail Ranch) which was Jack & Helen Frye’s private residence before the House of Apache Fire was completed. This stunning lifesize painting with backdrop of Red Rock Crossing hung over Jack Frye’s executive TWA office in the 1940’s. The lady featured (currently) is Helen Frye’s niece who is wearing Helen Frye’s leopard skin coat, one of many fur coats Helen owned. The history of this jacket is interesting, Jack, who loved to play poker was playing with friends one evening, and as often the case Jack won, the gentleman who lost to Jack was unable to settle his loss so he offered Jack a new leopard skin coat he had just purchased for his wife (still in box). Jack agreed to settle the debt and took the coat home where he gave it to Helen

Jack Frye at his New York City office (Airline Terminal Building) showing portrait of his wife behind his desk (Life Magazine 1946)

Mrs. Jack Frye modeling her novel design of Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. (TWA) Hostess (flight attendant uniform pant suit). Helen was instrumental in upgrading TWA Constellation inflight meals as well

My intent on publishing this second image is both slides are Kodachrome slides taken by Jack Frye at Red Rock Crossing (Baldwin’s Crossing) Sedona Arizona time-frame (1942-1948). This second image shows a more accurate color hue than the slide featured above. Helen is modeling a new TWA pantsuit with purse- valice for inflight (Jack took many Kodachrome slides and movies in his years as President of TWA)

President of TWA Jack Frye (1930-1947) and his wife Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye with V.I.P. guests aside his Lockheed Lodestar at Washington D.C. There’s a reason Helen Frye was known as ‘Mrs. TWA’! Talk about class, she was the face of elegance and poise, as Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt, and later Mrs. Jack Frye. On Constellation flights back and forth across the nation Helen often assisted TWA Hostesses in serving passengers (and entertaining) while Jack served as captain with his flight crew (1946)

Seen (right to left) Irma Protzmann Hannegan (wife of Robert Hannegan, U.S. Postmaster General & Chairman of Democratic National Committee), Kathryn Murphy Nunan (wife of Joseph D. Nunan Jr. Internal Revenue Commissioner), President of TWA Jack Frye & wife Helen Varner Vanderbilt Frye. Frye TWA Private Hostess (Attendant Stewardess) Harriet Appelwick is seen in doorway, others are unknown. The lady next to Helen, though, is thought to be an emissary-diplomat for a country which Frye was trying to secure TWA routes from. Image was taken at the deplaning of a flight with Jack and Helen Frye, the aircraft shown is Frye’s Private TWA Lockheed Lodestar NC33604. The location was Washington D.C. (Washington National Airport) DCA. The circumstances are not known, however, another flight close to this timeframe was in connection with a Democratic junket (vacation) the Frye’s took to Florida with Robert Hannegan (Chairman of the Democratic National Committee) and his wife Irma. The passengers shown are some of the most politically connected of the Roosevelt administration, Jack too was one of the most powerful men of the Democratic Party in the 1940’s and 1950’s (Roosevelt and Truman administrations). Jack was even asked to run for President of the United States (according to his daughter) in the 1950’s. Another interesting note on Jack and Helen Frye were they were invited to White House dinners several times. As testament to this, Helen was endeared to President Roosevelt when he would feed his terrier Fala from the table. Helen was a animal lover and even helped found the Sedona Humane Society! Also it was said Jack Frye was the only White House intimate who was allowed access to the Oval Office day or night! The Lodestar could board 14-passengers with 3-crew members (1945). The image cited was originally a Reni News Photo but appears copyright has not been updated or renewed to our current time frame of 2025. Therefore the image is displayed in accordance with fair use practice and thought to be ‘public domain’. The image is displayed as historically significant and in a manner which does not generate profit, any infringement on the copyright of said is not intentional. On file at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library. Truman Library image(s) hold specialized copyrights & usage fees –paid by Sedona Legend

Brand New Website Which Visually Documents the Lives of Jack & Helen Frye

This is the ‘NEW’ Sedona Legend Helen Frye – the Camelot Years of TWA website, the original rendition launched in 2003 is no longer supported by host Yahoo GeoCities and has been discontinued. The original website will be rebuilt within these pages. The new revised overview title is now Sedona Frye TWA Story’ with world URL www.sedonatwa.com. This effort is managed and owned by Sedona Legend Publishing. Herein you will find a historic perspective of Sedona that was nearly lost to time itself, the real HISTORY of Red Rock State Park a rich and valuable legacy which must not ever be forgotten or swept under the carpet, a showcase of treasured information and documentation. Sedona’s history with Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA) one of the world’s largest and most beloved airlines known as the ‘Airline to the Stars’ and how this association helped put Sedona Arizona on the map! Red Rock State Park known as a ‘Crown Jewel’ of the Arizona State Park system and one-time private playground of the rich and famous. Originally owned and discovered in 1941 by one of the most glamorous couples in America and one of the greatest aviation legends this country has ever known! An association so powerful the original identity of the property will always be known as the Frye ‘Smoke Trail Ranch’ and the ‘TWA Ranch’ at Sedona’. Dare to delve beneath the surface and discover the hidden and forgotten history of one of the most pristine, beautiful, and priceless real estate parcels of the Southwestern United States and the legendary couple who owned it!

This website serves to offer readers of the book ‘Jack & Helen Frye Story – the Camelot Years of TWA’ with images that complement the biography. Photos were not included in the publication because of copywrite restrictions. An effort will be made to not include a lot of repetitive narrative on these pages as this can be found in the book. This website will be updated and refined as time allows, and as well, the layout will be improved in an easy to navigate format. This Entry Page features the Fryes at the onset of their relationship (as covered in the book). Please click the following link to purchase the Biography-Novel-Love-Story Jack & Helen Frye Story – the Camelot Years of TWA available on Amazon in Soft Cover or Kindle. The presentation herein is best viewed on a Personal Computer

The Sedona Legend Web Site is a copyrighted historical photo enhanced narrative presented for educational and entertainment purposes, some materials may be displayed in regard to the United States Fair Use Act. Sedona Legend was envisioned and created to provide Red Rock State Park visitors with a comprehensive historic overview of the Jack and Helen Frye Deer-Lick and Smoke Trail Ranches. This web portal is totally non-profit and generates no income, nor does it seek, or has it ever accepted, a single donation, it is an independent venture

Sedona Legend is encouraged by the many friends of Jack and Helen Frye and was in fact launched at Red Rock State Park when volunteering for (two) 6-month sojourns, this presentation is not a disconnected effort. A gracious thank you to the Frye and Varner families for invaluable support and Red Rock State Park staff and volunteers for their enthusiasm, also thanks to the TWA Museum at Kansas City for their dedication to Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc. (Trans World Airlines)

Formerly this effort was called Sedona Legend Helen Frye (the Jack & Helen Frye Story)

Order the Biography-Novel on Amazon ‘Jack & Helen Frye Story – the Camelot Years of TWA’

Sedona TWA Online Presentations:

Sedona Legend Entry Page

Standard Airlines – Aero Corporation 1920’s

Western Air Express

Transcontinental & Western Air TWA 1930’s

Transcontinental & Western Air TWA 1940’s

TWA President Jack Frye Executive Plane Lockheed Electra 12A

TWA President Jack Frye Executive Plane Lockheed Electra 12A Robinson

TWA President Jack Frye Executive Plane Lockheed Lodestar 18

TWA Frye Executive Mansion Washington D.C.