As a child, Carolyn Lonnie Jones Schorer had a passion for aviation fostered by taking trips with her father to the airport, where they would repeatedly watch planes take off and land. This early fascination led her to earn her pilot’s licenses for flying both single-engine land planes and single-engine seaplanes through the Federal Aviation Administration. Ms. Schorer also greatly admired the story of legendary aviator Amelia Earhart, and when she heard about The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR), she was eager to join the team. After passing the requisite tests, she became a highly valued member of the Earhart Expedition Team, synthesizing her interests.
Across decades, Ms. Schorer served TIGHAR as a researcher, kite aerial photographer, and assistant drone operator. Since 2011, she has contributed as an archaeologist on five of the team’s expeditions to Nikumaroro, Kiribati, and Suva. Throughout her long and diverse career spanning multiple fields, Ms. Schorer has maintained her lifelong interest in aviation and continues to contribute her time as a member of the Civil Air Patrol, with which she has served as a squadron historian and airborne photographer.
Well-traveled, Ms. Schorer spent 30 years living overseas in Thailand, Turkey, Italy, Norway, and the former Soviet Union while supporting her husband’s career with the U.S. State Department. After completing her bachelor’s degree in Russian at Connecticut College in 1963, she was recruited by the U.S. government, eventually playing a role in opening the U.S. Consulate in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, in Russia. This marked the first U.S. representation in the region since the closure of the former U.S. Consulate during the Russian Revolution of 1917. Ms. Schorer engaged professionally in UNESCO’s World Heritage programs and contributed to multiple land planning projects, including commercial, maritime, and architectural preservation efforts. She was the head of design and senior vice president for the innovative shipboard community at sea known as the World of ResidenSea, the largest private residential yacht on earth, containing 165 residences.
Inspired by her family’s background in building and development, Ms. Schorer studied architecture at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where she graduated with a Master of Architecture in 1985. She drew on a lineage of creativity from both sides of her family, with her father’s family comprised of artists and her mother’s family working as sculptors. Ms. Schorer’s uncle was a part of the Monuments Men during World War II, traveling to Italy to save precious works of art and preserve them for posterity. As a testament to her diverse interests and determination, she is proud of her great accomplishments in the mostly male industries, transitioning from aviation to archaeology, to archival research, and finally to architecture.
Possessing a drive for creative expression, Ms. Schorer has enjoyed acclaim for her written works, serving as a freelance author for Archiventures Ltd. since 2016. She wrote “The Moose Family: Roaming the Forests, Footloose and Free” in 2019 and authored multiple pieces for the “Kids to Space Project,” ultimately earning an award from the National Science Teaching Association for “Kids to Space Mission Plans: An Educator’s Guide.” Alongside Dr. Buzz Aldrin, one of the first men on the Moon, she directed the Global Space Travelers program with ShareSpace. Throughout her career, Ms. Schorer has also been committed to creating educational opportunities and experiences for young people. She established the summer program for architecture and land planning with Auburn University in Røros, Norway, and has spent more than a decade as the executive committee secretary for the alumni board of directors at Connecticut College.
Ms. Schorer looks forward to ongoing professional success for years to come while prioritizing more time with her family, especially her grandchildren. Further, she aims to continue serving as an airborne photographer for the Civil Air Patrol. Committed to her community, she will always support local activities and volunteer whenever possible. Ms. Schorer enjoys staying active by running, biking, hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, skiing, skydiving, and more. She loves the outdoors and takes any opportunity to immerse herself in nature.
