Editing Collier Trophy (section)

{{short description|Annual aviation award administered by the US National Aeronautical Association}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox award
| name = Robert J. Collier Trophy
| image = 1992 CollierTrophyGPS.jpg
| alt = Baltimore sculptor [[Ernest Wise Keyser]] crafted the {{convert|525|lb|kg}} Aero Club Trophy. It was officially renamed the Robert J. Collier Trophy in 1944
| awarded_for = "the greatest achievement in [[aeronautics]] or [[astronautics]] in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year."<ref name="NAA Robert J. Collier Trophy"/>
| presenter = [[National Aeronautic Association]] (NAA)
| country = United States
| year = {{start date and age|df=yes|1911}}
| reward = 
| holder_label = 
| holder = 
| website = {{url|https://naa.aero/awards/awards-trophies/collier-trophy/}}
}}
[[File:Hoover Ames Collier Trophy.jpg|thumb|[[Herbert Hoover]] presents the 1929 Collier Trophy to [[National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics|NACA]] Chairman [[Joseph Sweetman Ames|Joseph Ames]] for the [[NACA cowling]]]]

The '''Robert J. Collier Trophy''' is awarded annually "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been thoroughly demonstrated by actual use during the preceding year."

The Collier Trophy is administered by the [[National Aeronautic Association]] (NAA) the oldest national aviation organization in the United States. Founded in 1905, the NAA oversees America's oldest and most prestigious aviation and aerospace recognitions. The Collier Trophy is the most coveted of all.

[[Robert J. Collier]], publisher of ''[[Collier's Weekly]]'' magazine, was an [[air sports]] pioneer and president of the [[Aero Club of America]].<ref name="NAA Robert J. Collier Trophy">{{cite web |title=Collier Trophy |url=https://naa.aero/awards/awards-and-trophies/collier-trophy |access-date=23 July 2020 |website=NAA.aero |publisher=NAA}}</ref> In 1910, he commissioned Baltimore sculptor [[Ernest Wise Keyser]] to make the {{convert|525|lb|kg|adj=on}} ''Aero Club of America Trophy''.<ref name="NAA Robert J. Collier Trophy" /><ref name="collier11" /> It was first awarded in 1911 to [[Glenn H. Curtiss]] for his successful development of the [[Amphibious aircraft|hydro-aeroplane]].<ref name="collier11" /> Collier presented his namesake trophy several times before his death in 1918.

The award is presented once a year by the NAA president, with the trophy on permanent display at the [[National Air and Space Museum]].<ref name="NAA Robert J. Collier Trophy" /> 

The trophy was stolen briefly in 1978, but was recovered.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_sic_1429|title=Collier Trophy Stolen from Mayflower}}</ref> The thieves left it at [[Fort Foote]] park and it was recovered 26 hours from the time it went missing.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36620850/the_ithaca_journal/|title=Stolen Collier Trophy Found in Park|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|location=Ithaca, New York|date=June 1, 1978|page=30|via=Newspapers.com|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>