JAMES HAROLD DOOLITTLE (1896-1993). American aviator and army officer. Major Doolittle refueling his Laird Super Solution biplane in Cleveland, Ohio, on 4 September 1931, after flying from Burbank, California in 9 hours and 10 minutes to win the Bendix Prize, prior to taking off again for Newark, New Jersey, to set a new transcontinental speed record.