This scrapbook consists of photographs and loose newspaper clippings collected by Clarence Arveson. The photographs include the following: Bolling Field; aircraft located at Bolling Field, including crashed aircraft; and aviation personalities who spent time at Bolling, including Lester Maitland and Major General Courtney Whitney. There is also a patch (probably from Arveson's Merchant Marine days).
Biographical / Historical:
Clarence H. Arveson (1901-1978) served in the Army Air Corps at Bolling Field, as a member of the 99th Squadron (Observation). He worked as a clerk typist and wing rigger for aircraft. After his Air Corps duty, Arveson worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad, the Merchant Marines and the Rural Electrification Administration.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Paul Arveson, gift, 1994, 1994-0013
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This donation consists of the two booklets written by Rufus Porte on aerial navigation.
Scope and Contents:
This donation consists of the following two booklets written by Rufus Porter: 1) 'Select Collection of Valuable and Curious Arts and Interesting Experiments which are well Explained, and Warranted genuine, and may be Performed Easily, Safely and At Little Expense,' Concord (New Hampshire), J.B. Moore Printers, 1826; and 2) Aerial navigation: The Practicability of Traveling Pleasantly and Safely from New York to California in Three Days, Fully Demonstrated: With a Full Description of a Perfect Aerial Locomotive, with Estimates of Capacity Speed and Cost of Construction,' New-York, Published by H. Smith, John Hall Printer, 222 Water Street, 1849.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged at the item level. One of the two items has been digitized.
Biographical/Historical note:
Rufus Porter (1792-1889) was the inventor of an airship 'the Aerial Locomotive' in the early 19th century. The original design for the airship was produced in 1820. In 1850 Porter organized a stock company to obtain funds for experimental purposes that failed to receive sufficient funds. Porter also invented a revolver, a horse power wood sawing apparatus and other mechanical devices. He was publisher of 'The New York Mechanic' and one of the founders of 'Scientific American.'
Provenance:
Robert B. Stephens, Gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0033
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
• Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consists of 2 cubic feet of material relating to Aline Rhonie's aviation and art exploits, including her famous aviation mural, "The Pre-Lindbergh Era of Flying on Long Island", which was located in Hangar F at Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York. There is also much material relating to Rhonie's war efforts, including material relating to her flight tour as the Aero Club of France's American representative to raise money for Allied aviators in France. The types of material included are photographs, correspondence, newspaper and magazine articles, certificates, and telegrams.
Biographical / Historical:
Aline Rhonie Hofheimer Brooks (1909 -1963) was a pioneer aviator and artist. Born in 1909 in York, Pennsylvania, to Arthur and Helen Milius Hofheimer, she grew up in the family's luxurious country estate in Washington Valley, New Jersey. She was an accomplished horsewoman and attended the Dalton School in New York City. After her divorce from first husband L. Richard Bamberger, Aline changed her name to Aline Rhonie, taking her middle name as her surname. She earned her pilot's license in 1930 after flight training with Frank Cochran in Reno, Nevada and James H. Collins at Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, and obtained her transport license in late 1931. Rhonie helped found the Luscombe Airplane Co. in Kansas City, Missouri in 1933. Also in 1933, Rhonie married Reginald Langhorne "Peter" Brooks (they later divorced) and they took off on an aerial honeymoon, each piloting their own plane. As part of this trip, Rhonie flew solo from New York to Mexico City and back, the first woman to do so. As a pilot she flew over 4,000 solo hours. Rhonie earned her English pilot's license in 1936 and became the first American to obtain an Irish commercial pilot's license in 1938. Rhonie was active in the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) before going to Europe from November 1938 to April 1940, where she flew for the British War Relief Society, drove an ambulance for the French Section Sanitaire Automobile behind the Maginot Line, and was also active in the Women's Voluntary Service in England. Upon her return to the United States, Rhonie flew her own plane on a tour as the American representative of the Aero Club of France to raise money to build canteens for Allied aviators in France as well as lecturing extensively on aviation-related issues, drawing from her experiences in Europe. Rhonie was also an accomplished artist who studied with John Sloan and Diego Rivera, from whom she learned mural painting. From 1934 to 1938, Rhonie created a very large fresco mural on a wall in Hangar F at Roosevelt Field. All the research and painting for the mural, entitled "The Pre-Lindbergh Era of Flying on Long Island," was done by Rhonie herself and the mural includes depictions of the many famous flyers including the Wright Brothers; Glenn Hammond Curtiss; Earle L. "Ovie" Ovington; Edward Anderson "Eddie" Stinson; Oakley G. Kelly; John A. MacReady; and Charles Augustus Lindbergh; as well as scenes relating to many aspects of aviation including aircraft production, World War I, barnstorming, and airmail. Aline Rhonie died in 1963.
Provenance:
Carol Roberts, Gift, 2014
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
United States Women in Aviation 1940-1985, by Deborah G. Douglas, was published in 1991 as part of the Smithsonian Institution Press series on women in the aviation industry. This collection consists of a variety of different types of material compiled during the author's research for the book.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a variety of different types of material compiled during the author's research for the book. Included are: various types of correspondence; photographs; newspapers and other publications; photocopies of book chapters and magazine and newspaper articles; working notes belonging to the author; reports (official and personal); interview transcripts; and approximately 600 bibliographic note cards. Also included are 10 cassettes containing interviews with the following aviators: Ann Carl, Toby Felker, Nancy Fitzroy, Margaret Hoffman, Jean Ross Howard, Lt. Beth Hubert, Lt. Col. Yvonne C. Pateman, Janet Rassmussen, Lynn Rippelmeyer, and Mary F. Silitch.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects. In addition, images of some material in the collection have been excluded from online display due to possible copyright restrictions.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by topic/subject.
Biographical / Historical:
United States Women in Aviation 1940-1985, by Deborah G. Douglas, was published in 1991 as part of the Smithsonian Institution Press series on women in the aviation industry. The publication documents the stories of women involved in all aspects of aviation during this time period, from pilots and engineers, to aircraft industry personnel and flight attendants.
Provenance:
Deborah G. Douglas, Gift, 1995, NASM.1995.0062
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of a copy of the ZRS-4 Ring Laying Commemorative Book, commemorating the laying of the master ring of the U.S. Navy Airship Akron ZRS-4.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a copy of the book commemorating the laying of the master ring of the U.S. Navy Airship Akron ZRS-4.
Arrangement:
Item level; collection contains just one item.
Biographical/Historical note:
In 1928 the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation signed contracts with the Bureau of Aeronautics to build two large fleet-type rigid airships designed expressly for strategic scouting work with US Fleet. These sister ships carried airplanes for fighter protection and for scouting. The first of the two was the USS Akron. NAS Lakehurst was homeport for the Akron between October 1931, when she was delivered to the station, and April 1933 when the Akron was lost off Barnegat Light with a heavy loss of life.
Provenance:
Unknown - found in collection, unknown, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0495
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection contains Hall's personal and professional papers. The material consists of his correspondence, photos, and scrapbooks, as well as patent and patent infringement files.
Biographical / Historical:
Randolph Fordham Hall (1896- ) was an aeronautical engineer and inventor. He began work as a draftsman at the Thomas Brothers Airplane Co (1915-16) and moved to Standard Aeronautical Corp as an engineer (1917) when World War I interrupted. He enlisted in the United States Air Service Technical Service (1917-19), advancing to the rank of Sergeant First Class. During this time he attended the American Expeditionary Forces University in Dijon, France, where he earned degrees in mathematics and mechanical engineering. He returned to the United States, taking a position as assistant engineer at the Thomas Morse Aircraft Corp (1920-28) before joining Francis E. Cunningham and James C. Dryer to form Cunningham-Hall Aircraft Corp (1928-32, 1933-41). He left Cunningham-Hall to join Bell Aircraft Corp (1941-59) where he remained until he retired. Hall received over forty patents during his career, including a patent for a High Lift Wing which flew on Cunningham-Hall's entry in the Guggenheim Safe Airplane Competition of 1929.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Theodore A. Hall, gift, unknown, XXXX-0169, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
John (Jack) Wallis Bishop was born June 8, 1892, in Berlin, Maryland. He was trained as a pilot at the US Army School of Military Aeronautics at Cornell University in 1917 and subsequently enlisted in Canada and was assigned to the 66th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) at the front for 14 months in northern Italy. He shot down two enemy aircraft and participated in 22 low altitude bombing raids. In the 1930s, he became a flying instructor and pilot at Roosevelt Field. Bishop was killed in a flying accident at Roosevelt Field on August 30, 1936. This collection contains materials from Bishop's career as a pilot, including a diary, logbooks, newsletters, permits, photographs, and articles.
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains materials from John Wallis Bishop's career as a pilot. World War I era materials include photographs, a diary of his overseas service, a logbook, newsletters and programs from the 66th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, a booklet of aircraft silhouettes, an aerial map of the northern Italian front, and his permission to depart from the United Kingdom and return to the United States. Materials from his later career include logbooks, a pilot permit and physical examination certificate, and a book of tickets for excursion flights with Bishop. Other materials include an article from the November/December 1931 edition of The Military Engineer entitled "Two-Fifths of an Ace," describing Bishop's exploits with the 66th Squadron, an in memoriam article, an article about Annette Gipson, and a genealogy of Samuel and John Bishop.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Biographical / Historical:
John (Jack) Wallis Bishop was born June 8, 1892, in Berlin, Maryland. A United States citizen living in Yonkers, New York, he initially enlisted in the United States military on September 14, 1917, at Mineola, New York. He was trained at the US Army School of Military Aeronautics at Cornell University until his honorable discharge ("cause not shown") on October 30, 1917. Subsequently, he enlisted in Canada and was assigned to the 66th Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) at the front for 14 months in northern Italy. He shot down two enemy aircraft and participated in 22 low altitude bombing raids. He returned to the US in June 1919, became a member of the "Ancient and Secret Order of Quiet Birdmen." After the war, he sold real estate, but soon began flying again, participating in barnstorming tours. In the 1930s, he became a flying instructor and pilot at Roosevelt Field, Long Island, New York, and a lieutenant in the Nassau County (NY) police department. He was a friend and flying associate of the air racer Annette Gipson. Bishop was killed in a flying accident near Roosevelt Field on August 30, 1936.
Provenance:
E. Thompson Magoffin, gift, 1988, NASM.1988.0086.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection follows Mountain's aviation career.
Scope and Contents:
This collection follows Joseph Mountain's aviation career and includes photographic negatives and prints, diaries and flight log books, reports, and maps. Mountain's photographs from his service in Saudi Arabia are of particular interest --taken not long before the great oil discoveries at Dammam in 1938, they capture the desert kingdom at the very edge of the tremendous changes that the oil economy brought to the Gulf. The images are a fascinating record of traditional Saudi Arabian life, crafts and architecture. Highlights include portraits of dancers at Eid al-Fitr celebrations, market scenes in Hufuf and the Old Town of Al Jubail, camel caravans, Saudi hunters with their hawks, and pearl fishermen and their dhows. Mountain also extensively photographed members of the CASOC team at work and interacting with their Saudi workers and acquaintances.
Joseph Mountain's negatives are stored in the Archive Division's cold vault and are not available to researchers. Scans of the negatives may be viewed in the Archives Division reading room, or through the Smithsonian Institution Research Information System (SIRIS) web site at http://bit.ly/dL2zDs.
Arrangement:
No series - arranged by materials: Documents, oversize and images
Biographical/Historical note:
Joseph Dunlap Mountain was born on October 24, 1902 in Cherryvale, Kansas. He joined the U.S. Army Air Service in 1919; he was awarded his wings and commissioned a second lieutenant in 1921. Mountain continued to fly after leaving the Air Service and also took up photography.
In 1928, Mountain was employed by the Continental Air Map Company in the aerial mapping of the state of California. In 1934-1935, he served as a pilot, aerial photographer, darkroom technician and mechanic for the California-Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC; in 1944 renamed the Arabian American Oil Company --Aramco, now Saudi Aramco) expedition to Saudi Arabia; Mountain logged over 221 hours of reconnaissance and mapping flights for CASOC. In 1936-1937, Mountain contracted with the Saudi Arabia Mining Syndicate to make an aerial survey of the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.
From 1937-1947, Mountain was a pilot for Trans World Airlines. During World War II, Mountain returned to active duty with the U.S. Army Air Forces as a training officer in the Air Transport Command. He was awarded the Bronze Star while serving in the China-Burma-India Theater and supervising supply missions over "The Hump" --the dangerous air route over the Himalaya Range. In 1945 he was promoted to full Colonel and appointed executive officer of the Committee for Air Navigation and Traffic Control.
In 1947, Mountain entered the computer industry with International Telephone and Telegraph. Later, he founded Mountain Systems, a digital computer manufacturing company, and Mountain Datasystem, a data processing firm. During the Korean War, he served as an Air Force liaison officer with the Bell Telephone Laboratories. After the war, he returned to civilian life and continued to work in the computer industry. Joseph Mountain died on November 25, 1970 at the age of 68.
Provenance:
Isabel Mountain, gift, 1991, 1991-0079, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at http://airandspace.si.edu/permissions
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States Search this
This collection documents Harrison's aviation career. The material consists mainly of newspaper articles on Harrison and early aviation in general, as well as a small amount of material on his son, Bennett.
Biographical / Historical:
George Blair Harrison (1873-1930) was a pioneer aeronaut and businessman. Following graduation by Washburn College and University of Michigan, he entered the business world, working as a newspaperman (1898-1903, 1908-15), for the St.Louis World's Fair (1903-05), in printing and lithography (1905-07), and in the motion picture industry (1915-17). During this time he earned Federation Aeronautique International (FAI) Balloon certificate 32, becoming the first licensed balloon pilot west of St.Louis. In January 1910 he helped organize the first U.S. International air meet, at Dominquez Field, Los Angeles. He was also associated briefly with Wright Airplane Co (1910) and Glenn L. Martin Co. (1911). He joined the army as an aviation cadet when the US entered World War I, attending Ground School at Austin, TX (1917) and Balloon School, Ft. Omaha, NE (1917-18). After his discharge in 1919, he returned to commercial aviation, serving as airport inspector for Los Angeles County (1920, 1921), secretary and director of Universal Institute of Aeronautics, Inc., until his death.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Marion S. Harrison, gift, 1986, 1987-0012, not NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Collection consists of materials created by and collected by Richard Wheatland II during the period when he served as a Vice President of New York Airways (1953-1968), a helicopter airline operating in the New York City metropolitan area from 1952-1977.
Scope and Contents:
The collection includes a variety of material, probably collected by Richard Wheatland II (1923-2009) during the period 1953-1968 when he served as a Vice President of New York Airways (NYA). The material reflects the administration of the airline and many of the activities of its president, Robert L. Cummings, Jr., as well as its dealings with organizations such as the Air Transport Association (ATA), American Helicopter Society, Bell Helicopter, Eastern Air Lines, the Grand Central Building, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Pan America World Airways (Pan Am), the Port of New York Authority (PONYA), Sikorsky, Trans World Airlines (TWA), other organizations interested in helicopter operations, and the federal government. In addition to administrative correspondence, memoranda, proposals, employee operations manuals, speeches, and reports, there are also a large number of manuscripts and publications, clippings, timetables and other ephemera, and a small number of photographs.
New York Airways' fleet included several helicopter models over the airline's lifetime, including the Sikorsky S-55, Sikorsky S-58, Bell 47H (used for charter work), Vertol V-44 (civil version of the Piasecki H-21 Workhorse), Boeing-Vertol Model 107, and Sikorsky S-61L and S-61N models. The collection contains materials relating to these aircraft and helicopter operations in general as well as other vertical flight and short take off and landing (STOL) aircraft including the Cierva CR Twin (CR LTH.1, Grasshopper III), Hughes H-500, Hiller FH-1100, Bell 206 JetRanger, and Fairchild (Pilatus) Porter (Heli-Porter, Turbo-Porter).
In addition to the material directly relating to NYA, the collection includes material on topics of interest to the NYA executives. This includes information on the other two helicopter carriers, Los Angeles Airways (LAA) and Helicopter Air Services (HAS) of Chicago, as well as the later San Francisco & Oakland Helicopter Airlines (SFO), and other international, national, and local airlines. Also included are a large number of materials directly relating to air transportation and urban planning issues in the New York City metropolitan area (including northern New Jersey), particularly those related to the airports NYA served: Newark International Airport (IATA airport code EWR) and Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey, LaGuardia Airport (LGA), West 30th Street Heliport (JRA), Downtown Manhattan/Wall Street Heliport (JRB), Pan Am Building Heliport (JPB), and New York International Airport, Anderson Field, commonly known as "Idlewild" (IDL). New York International Airport was renamed as John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on December 24, 1963.
Series 2I (1973 Acquisition) contains more of Wheatland's personal notes on various topics, and also includes materials on topics of general business executive interest such as public speaking and management techniques.
Arrangement:
Contents are in original order as received by NASM Archives. Folders in both series are arranged (roughly) in alphabetical by original folder title. Materials within the folders in Series 2 (1973 Acquisition) tend to appear in reverse chronological order. Multiple copies of the same materials may appear in different folders.
Digital images of materials in this collection were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping, orientation, and color variations. Some materials may not be visible online due to copyright restrictions.
Biographical / Historical:
Incorporated on August 31, 1949, New York Airways (NYA), one of the first three helicopter carriers certificated by the United States Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), began mail service between New York City's three major airports on October 15, 1952, and on July 8, 1953, inaugurated the world's first regularly scheduled passenger helicopter service. As was the case with all of the helicopter carriers, NYA depended heavily on government subsidies for its economic health, but worked steadily towards its goal of financial self-sufficiency, extending its routes into nearby Connecticut and New Jersey, carrying freight, and doing charter work. In October 1955, NYA signed joint fare agreements with many national and international airlines, promoting their service by making it easier for passengers transferring to and from the major New York City airports to go "all the way by air." As ground traffic in the New York metropolitan area became increasingly congested, NYA, based at LaGuardia Airport, worked closely with the Port of New York Authority (PONYA) to establish heliports on the island of Manhattan, inaugurating service into the West 30th Street Heliport in 1956 and the Wall Street Heliport (at Pier 6 on the East River) in 1960. In December 1956, as part of a campaign to break the color barrier in the airline industry, NYA hired pilot Perry H. Young, Jr.; Young made his first regularly scheduled flight for NYA as a co-pilot on February 5, 1957, becoming the the first Black pilot for a commercial airline in the United States.
High operating costs continued to be an issue for all of the helicopter carriers, and in 1958, after continuing criticism from the CAB on the subject of alleged excessive costs and increasing subsidy need, NYA was forced to suspend some services. In 1961 Congress put a ceiling on helicopter carrier subsidy payments. The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair provided NYA the opportunity to add passenger and sightseeing service to and from the rooftop heliport of the Port of New York Authority Building at the Fair. Ever seeking a way to reduce its need for government subsidies (which were eventually withdrawn), in June 1965 NYA entered into operating support agreements with Trans World Airlines (TWA) and Pan American World Airways, whose passengers were some of NYA's biggest customers. NYA is perhaps most famous for its regularly scheduled passenger service from the rooftop heliport atop the Pan Am Building, inaugurated on December 21, 1965. Though undeniably glamorous, the noisy NYA helicopters were not appreciated by many of their midtown Manhattan neighbors. Service to the Pan Am Building heliport was cancelled on February 18, 1968, due to inadequate passenger loads, then was briefly resumed in early 1977 until a fatal accident on May 16, 1977, ended NYA service from the heliport. Already suffering from financial setbacks and rising fuel prices, NYA ceased operations permanently following a fatal accident at Newark International Airport on April 18, 1979, and filed for bankruptcy the following month in May 1979.
Richard Wheatland II, born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1923, served in the United States Navy from 1943-1946 as a deck officer on a destroyer-minelayer in the Pacific; after his discharge he did one year of graduate work in government at Harvard University and then attended Columbia Law School, receiving his law degree in 1949. From 1950 to 1952, Wheatland was based in Paris, France, employed by the US Government in a division of the Office of the Special Representative in Europe for the Marshall Plan. Wheatland returned to New York to join New York Airways in January 1953 as the Manager of the airline's Traffic and Sales Department, and soon became NYA's Vice President of Sales and Service. He was married in 1954 to Cynthia McAdoo. Wheatland left the company in 1968 to take a position in his native home of Boston, and died peacefully at his home on June 26, 2009.
NOTE: The airline covered by this collection, New York Airways (1951), should not be confused with an earlier New York Airways (1927) which was founded July 8, 1927, operated as a subsidiary of Pan American Airways, and was sold to Eastern Air Transport on July 15, 1931. It should also not be confused with the unrelated but similarly named New York Air (owned by Frank Lorenzo's Texas Air Corporation) which was founded in late 1980 and ceased operations on February 1, 1987, when it merged with Continental Airlines.
Provenance:
Richard Wheatland II, Gift, 1973, 1992, NASM.1992.0052
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Ida Van Smith (1917--2003) was an African American pilot and educator. The Negro Airmen International, Inc. (NAI) is the oldest African American civilian aviation organization in the country. This collection consists of a 1974 edition of the Ida Van Smith Flight Clubs, Inc. Journal, signed by Smith, and two Negro Airmen International Inc. membership cards for Teddie N. Hayes, 1976 and 1978.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a 1974 edition of the Ida Van Smith Flight Clubs, Inc. Journal, signed by Smith, and two Negro Airmen International Inc. membership cards for Teddie N. Hayes, 1976 and 1978.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
In 1967, Ida Van Smith (1917--2003) founded a series of flight training clubs for minority children to encourage their involvement in aviation and aerospace sciences. Born in North Carolina, Smith graduated from Shaw University and earned a master's degree from Queens College. She became a teacher in the New York City Public Schools in the fields of history and special education. In 1967, at the age of 50, she finally fulfilled a personal dream to learn to fly. Once she had her private pilot's license and instructor rating, Smith founded the Ida Van Smith Flight Club on Long Island, New York. Training for the students was provided in an aircraft simulator funded by the FAA and an operational Cessna 172. Soon there were more than 20 clubs throughout the country, with members ages 13-19. As a result, thousands of children were exposed to aviation and many pursued careers in aviation. Smith also produced and hosted a cable television show on aviation and taught an introductory aviation course at York College of the City University of New York. Although she retired from teaching in 1977, Smith remained active in her namesake clubs. She was a member of the Tuskegee Airman's Black Wings, Negro Airmen International, and the Ninety-Nines. She published or was featured in many educational, aviation, and historical journals. Smith received numerous awards for her contributions to aviation and youth education.
The Negro Airmen International, Inc. (NAI) was founded in February, 1967 by aviator Edward Gibbs. NAI is the oldest African American civilian aviation organization in the country and encourages African Americans to enter the field of aviation by providing aviation learning opportunities and creating job opportunities.
Provenance:
Samantha Stockley, Gift, 2016, NASM.2017.0007.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Ida Van Smith Flight Clubs, Inc. Journal and Negro Airmen International, Inc. Membership Cards, NASM.2017.0007, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection consists of 85 prints copied from photographs he took while stationed at Trumball Field, Conn. and Ft. Devens, Mass. The prints include aircraft from the following companies: Bellanca, Boeing, Consolidated, Curtiss, Douglas, Fairchild, Keystone, Lockheed, Martin, North American, Northrop, Seversky, and Taylor (Piper). There are also aerial prints of New York. The collection also includes a painted leather patch with the insignia of the 97th Observation Squadron, copies of information on the 97th Observation Squadron, and 'World War II Stories: The 317th Air Service Squadron' which is comprised of oral history accounts by members of the 317th.
Biographical / Historical:
Stanley Kocher was a member of the U.S. Army Air Corps, the 97th Observation Squadron, during the late 1930s.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Stanley C. Kocher, gift, 1989, 1990-0059, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics Search this
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences Search this
Names:
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics Search this
United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences Search this
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Search this
Extent:
1.38 Cubic feet (4 document boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Transcripts
Publications
Place:
Outer space -- Exploration -- Soviet Union
Outer space -- Exploration -- United States
Date:
1958-1964
Summary:
Congress established committees on space exploration in 1958, in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik in October 1957. Both Senate and House committees held hearings on the creation of the new civilian space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its budgets. In addition, they held investigative hearings about the United States' launch failures and the Soviet Union's space program. By the late 1960s both committees were relegated to subcommittees status as part of groups which dealt with all aspects of science and technology. This collection consists of published transcripts of hearings before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Astronautics and the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautics and Space Science.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of published transcripts of hearings before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science and Astronautics and the United States Senate Committee on Aeronautics and Space Science. The hearings deal with a wide variety of topics including appropriations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, American and Soviet space programs, as well as other space-science-related topics.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two series: 1) House of Representatives Hearings and Reports and 2) Senate Hearings and Reports. Within each series, materials are mostly arranged chronologically.
Biographical / Historical:
Congress established committees on space exploration in 1958, in response to the Soviet Union's launching of Sputnik in October 1957. The House Committee was created as the Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration (1958). In 1959, the Committee on Science and Astronautics became a permanent standing committee within the House of Representatives.
The Senate, encouraged by Majority Leader Lyndon B. Johnson, established a Special Committee on Space and Astronautics in February 1958. By 1959, the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences was a permanent, as well as prestigious, Senate committee.
Both Senate and House committees held hearings on the creation of the new civilian space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and its budgets. In addition, they held investigative hearings about the United States' launch failures and the Soviet Union's space program. By the late 1960s both committees were relegated to subcommittees status as part of groups which dealt with all aspects of science and technology.
Provenance:
Gift, NASM.XXXX.0205.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
5.45 Cubic feet ((5 records center boxes) (1 flatbox))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Correspondence
Publications
Charts
Audiotapes
Posters
Press releases
Reports
Date:
1960-1975
bulk 1962-1965
Scope and Contents:
This collection is the files of Robert K. Friedman (Chief, FAA SST Support Division) on the development of commercial SST capability in the United States. The material consists primarily of technical and research reports, but also press releases, marketing procedures, proposals, assessment and evaluation reports on the entire SST program. The collection also includes material on foreign and U. S. military research, applications of supersonics and sonic booms and marketing and presentation material from Lockheed, Boeing, North American and Convair. This collection also has miscellaneous items including copies of the first FAA anti-hijacking poster, seven open reel audio tapes (one on SST program, six on hijacking), and a set of charts used for demonstration and training on management of aircraft design and procurement.
Biographical / Historical:
The United States' Supersonic Transport (SST) program was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1963. The program aimed for a Mach 2+ aircraft capable of carrying c.300 passengers with intercontinental range. The US aimed to outstrip the British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde and Soviet Tu 144 programs through the use of advanced technology and materials. By the late 1960s contracts had been let to prime contractors Boeing (airframe) and General Electric (engines) but the program was four to five years behind the European and Soviet efforts, which had graduated to supersonic flight testing while the US program had yet to pass beyond the mockup stage. In 1971 the slow pace of technical; development, environmental concerns, high costs, and questions over the commercial feasibility of the aircraft led Congress to cancel the program.
Provenance:
Robert K. Friedman, Gift, 1987, 1987-0130, not NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection covers Christenson's flying and government career and includes the following types of material: photographs, newspaper clippings, government forms and memorandums, correspondence, publications, and log books.
Biographical / Historical:
Carl J. Christenson (1907-1986) learned to fly at Oakland, CA with the Wright Air Service and received his license in 1928. Christenson worked for the Wright Air Service as a line boy and mechanic's helper although he also hopped passengers to build flight time. He was issued transport and mechanic licenses in 1929 and went to work for Humboldt Flying Service in Eureka, CA. During the 1930s he became engaged in fixed base and barnstorming operations in northern California and central Washington with a variety of small flying services. In 1939 Christenson was hired as an inspector by the CAA/FAA, and he served in Maryland, Virginia, Iowa, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, and California before retiring in 1969. Christenson was a member of the Quiet Birdmen.
General:
Other materials: a photograph of the Seversky aircraft was added to the Seversky aircraft technical file.
NASMrev
Provenance:
Andrew L. Christenson, gift, 1995, 1995-0057, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection includes photographs of most of the members, and some of their aircraft and crash sites. There are also detailed reports of each of the 700 documented emergency parachute jumps as well as newspaper articles and correspondence about the Caterpillar Club and Lt. Col. Falk Harmel, who maintained this collection.
Biographical / Historical:
The Caterpillar Club originated in October 1922 at Wright Field, Ohio, when a suggestion was made to start a club composed only of persons whose lives were saved by the use of the parachute when forced to leave an aircraft in flight. The name comes from the fact that parachutes were made from silk, produced from the caterpillar cocoon. By 1940 there were some 700 members of the Caterpillar Club, including such noteworthy members as Charles Lindbergh
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Falk Harmel, gift, 1967, XXXX-0576, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of the following items relating to the World War I aviation career of Wallace McCrane: two oversized rolled photographs of the 153rd and 224th Aero Squadrons; photographs; postcards; military orders; book, entitled 'Collected Materials for the Study of War'; reunion materials; and letters / postcards from a WWI Belgian Soldier to Edna Pick (the future Mrs. McCrane.)
Biographical / Historical:
Wallace Downs McCrane (1896-1975) enlisted on 14 December 1917, and arrived at Kelly Field on 26 December 1917. After his training at Kelly Field was completed, McCrane was sent to England and assigned to the 153rd Aero Squadron. In September of 1918 he was then transferred to France, where he became a member of the 224th Aero Squadron. In both squadrons, McCrane both flew as an observer and was a Signal Electrician. He returned to the United States in 1919, and after his discharge began his career at Exide Batteries as a metallurgist. McCrane also joined the Coast Guard Auxiliary during World War II and patrolled the Philadelphia Port / Delaware River.
General:
This accession came with a number of artifacts which were transferred to the National Air and Space Museum Division of Aeronautics.
NASMrev
Provenance:
Edna McCrane and Marion Wolanek, gift, 1998, 1999-0007, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations Search this
The Mary Charles Collection consists of documents, photographs, and scrapbooks collected/assembled by (Sarah) Mary Charles between 1931 and 1966. The collection showcases Charles' activity as a liscensed pilot. The bulk of the collection covers the span between 1931 and 1936.
Scope and Contents:
This collection, encompassing the years of 1931-1966, includes Women's National Air Corps material, Mary Charles' pilot certificates, OX5 Club material, Women's Air Reserve material, autographed photographs, correspondence, and newspaper clippings relating to women in aviation, as well as three scrapbooks covering the 1931 National Air Races in Cleveland.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The Mary Charles Collection is a small collection and, as such, it has no distinct series groupings. Box 1 is arranged in strict chronological order; boxes 2 and 3 are arranged to accomodate a safe fit of the materials in the containers. Titles appearing in brackets [ ] are the archivist's.
Biographical / Historical:
(Sarah) Mary Charles (circa 1887-1972) was a licensed pilot and advocate for women's involvement in aeronautics. She received flying instruction from U.S. Naval Reserve experts at Clover Field, in Santa Monica, California, in 1929, and earned her pilot's license in 1931. Charles participated in the 1931 Cleveland Air Race, where she finished last as a result of engine problems. She did, however, place third in the women's dead stick landing contest.
In 1936, she received instruction in blind flying at Central Airport. Besides being active in the OX5 Club, the Women's International Association of Aeronautics (WIAA), the Ninety-Nines, and The Women Peace Officers Association of California, Charles was also a Captain in the Women's Air Reserve, a group of women pilots organized to fly and give medical treatment in inaccessible stricken areas.
Provenance:
Mary Charles, gift, 1966, XXXX-0011.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consists of five cubic feet of photographs, negatives, books, and documents collected or produced by Francis Dean. Included are approximately 10,000 - 11,000 2 x 3 and 4 x 5 inch black and white negatives, from a variety of sources; 8 x 10, 4 x 5, and 2 x 3 inch mostly black and white prints, with a few color prints; color slides of aircraft; Curtiss-Wright Corporation brochures, manuals, and publications, including a Propeller Design Manual, April 1953, and a Design Report on the Curtiss-Wright X-100 VTOL Aircraft, 1961; Profile Publications for various aircraft; a green notebook filled with information on the Brewster F2A; a blue notebook of correspondence; and other miscellaneous aviation documents.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis H. Dean served in the United States Navy during World War II. After his discharge, Dean graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as an aeronautical engineer. He worked for thirty-eight years at Curtiss-Wright Corporation and Boeing. At Curtiss-Wright, Dean headed preliminary design work on efforts in the development of a VTOL aircraft. Dean was also the author of aviation books, including the following titles: America's Hundred Thousand: US Production Fighters of World War II; America's Navy and Marine Corps Airplanes: 1918 to the Present; America's Army and Air Force Airplanes: Post-World War I to the Present; and The Curtiss X-Planes: Curtiss Wright's VTOL Effort 1958-1965. Dean was a long time member of the American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS)
Provenance:
Evelyn G. Dean, Gift, 2005
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Search this
Extent:
0.45 Cubic feet ((1 legal document box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Publications
Reports
Notes
Place:
Moon -- Exploration
Date:
1961-1962
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following reports relating to the early planning and development of the Apollo Missions: "The Long Range Plan;" "National Launch Vehicle Data Summary;" "Large Launch Vehicle Planning Group;" "A Summary of Various Vehicle Systems for the Manned Lunar Landing Mission;" "A Feasible Approach for An Early Manned Lunar Landing, Parts 1 and 2;" "Manned Lunar-Landing through use of Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous, Vol. 1 and 2;" "Earth Orbital Rendezvous for an early Manned Lunar Landing;" and "A Survey of Various Vehicle Systems for the Manned Lunar Landing Mission." The collection also contains some correspondence between Fleming and White House offices and the Department of Defense. During March 2000, a few additional reports and lecture notes by Fleming were added to this collection.
Biographical / Historical:
In July 1960 NASA prepared to implement "Project Apollo" which would introduce a manned circumlunar mission project to their planning. The project took on a new form, however, when President Kennedy in May 1961 proposed the goal of a manned lunar landing. It was a program of three-man flights, leading to the landing of men on the moon.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
William A. Fleming, gift, 1993, 1993-0033, public domain
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
