Octave Chanute (1832-1910), born in France, was a naturalized American. He was a talented and highly-successful civil engineer. Chanute designed the first bridge (railroad) over the Missouri River and designed the Union stockyards in Chicago and Kansas City.

Following his early retirement, Chanute took up a never-ending campaign to champion the invention of the airplane. He acted as a tireless publicist, collecting information from all corners of the globe and sending out information to all askers. Of particular import, his long correspondence with Louis Mouillard. Further, the interest of a prominent engineer in matters of aviation lent a considerable respectability to the nascent field.

In 1894, Chanute published a compendium of early aviation experiments, Progress in Flying Machines, that was widely read and respected. In 1896, Chanute became an even more active participant, commissioning several craft in 1896 which were contsructed in William Avery's shop. Chanute's favorite was the  Katydid, which featured multiple wings that could be moved about on the fuselage to facilitate experimentation.