"Flying Santa" Edward Rowe Snow in action (video)

Edward Rowe Snow ’32 dropped bundles of presents to lighthouse families around New England every holiday season.

Greetings from Boston Light (1958)

Greetings from Boston Light (1958) | Photograph courtesy of Dolly Snow Bicknell

Read Sara Hoagland Hunter’s article on Edward Rowe Snow ’32, from the January-February issue of Harvard Magazine, about the life of the Winthrop High School teacher and maritime writer turned “Flying Santa,” known for his annual holiday flights throughout New England during which he dropped bundles of presents to lighthouse keepers and their families. Then visit the Friends of Flying Santa website, formed in 1997 to help ensure the future of annual Christmas flights to New England lighthouses, to view videos of Snow and his team in action, including a 1946 helicopter flight to Martha's Vineyard; aerial footage of Snow dropping packages at Nauset Light, Great Point Light, and Sankaty Head Light; Snow in full Santa attire preparing for flight at an airport; a 1967 interview; Snow and daughter Dolly delivering gifts by boat to Ken Black and crew at Boston Light; and other aerial footage

Related topics

You might also like

How AI Is Reshaping Supply Chains

Harvard Kennedy School lecturer on using AI to strengthen supply chains

This Astronomer is Sounding a Warning on ‘Space Junk’

As debris accumulates in low Earth orbit, the danger of destructive collisions continues to rise.

Understanding AI Vulnerabilities

As artificial intelligence capabilities evolve, so too will the tactics used to exploit them. 

Most popular

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

The Harvard graduate’s roundtable talk show touches on hot button issues from religion to sex. 

In 1954, Gregory Corso moved into Eliot House. How he stayed there is a literary legend.

Explore More From Current Issue

Modern building with large glass windows, surrounded by greenery and pedestrians.

A roundup of University news from the summer of 2026

Three hands hold smartphones displaying social media profiles with likes and hearts.

Tell us about how social media impacts your daily life.

University Hall with steps and the John Harvard statue, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.

Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.