Search Results

Creator:

Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George)  Search this

Extent:

61.38 Cubic feet (143 document boxes; 4 cassette boxes; 10 shoeboxes; 1 oversize box)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographic prints

Timetables

Annual reports

Memorabilia

Notebooks

Date:

bulk 1910s to 2010

1847 to 2011

Summary:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921 -2011) was an English airline historian, who worked in airline marketing research before joining the National Air and Space Museum in 1981. He served as a curator until his retirement in 2011. This reference collection was compiled by Davies during his career and consists of historical data and materials—including photographs, timetables, and memorabilia—from the airlines of the world.

Scope and Contents:

This reference collection was compiled by Ron Davies throughout his career both as a market researcher and an academic and curator. Materials consist of 63 loose-leaf binders (called dossiers), each containing historical data on the airlines of a country or region, hand-drawn maps, chronologies, articles and marketing materials; over 5000 aviation prints; over 3500 airline timetables; and miscellaneous airline memorabilia. The collection also contains oral history materials, both transcripts and audio cassettes, and four catalogued videotapes.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged in six series:

Series 1: Dossiers

Series 2: Photographs

Series 3: Timetables

Series 4: Oral History

Series 5: Personal Materials

Series 6: Motion Picture Materials

Additional title information has been added by the processing archivist in brackets.

Biographical / Historical:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921-2011) was born in England and educated in Shaftesbury, Dorset. After spending six and a half years in the British Army, Davies joined the newly formed Ministry of Civil Aviation. Davies then spent six years in economic research with British European Airways, before joining British Aeroplane Company in 1957, where he set up a market research department. Davies worked in various manufacturing companies, specializing in market research and traffic analysis.

In 1968, Davies went to work in the United States for Douglas Aircraft, where he remained for 13 years as head of market research. In 1981, Davies was appointed as the Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. After his appointment as Lindbergh Chair ended, Davies became a curator in the Aeronautics Division of the Museum. He retired in 2011.

Davies wrote 26 books about airlines, airline personalities and aspects of air transport, including the reference standards: A History of the World Airlines, Airlines of the United States since 1914, Airlines of Latin America since 1919, Airlines of Asia, and Airlines of the Jet Age: A History. He also founded Paladwr Press in 1987, publishing a series of books on various airlines and their aircraft.

Davies was a Fellow of three Royal Societies: Aeronautics, Arts, and Geographical and was an Associate of the Academe National de L'Air et de l'Espace. He was a Fellow National of the Explorers Club and a member of the New York's Wings Club and Washington's Cosmos Club. He received Brazil's Santos Dumont Medal and the Aeronautics Order of Merit.

Provenance:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies, Gift, 1981, NASM.XXXX.0604.

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:

Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this

Airlines  Search this

Air travel  Search this

Airplanes  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographic prints

Timetables

Annual reports

Memorabilia -- 20th century

Notebooks

Citation:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0604

See more items in:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29424ca5a-d1c8-4305-a392-1808a01b1255

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0604

Creator:

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Names:

McCook Field, Ohio  Search this

United States. Air Force  Search this

United States. Air Force Materiel Division  Search this

United States. Air Materiel Command  Search this

Wright Field, Ohio  Search this

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this

Extent:

733.77 Cubic feet (1508 document boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Date:

1915-1955

Summary:

Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio, maintained a catalogued library of technical documents, which was turned over to the Air Force Museum and later donated to the National Air and Space Museum. The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically) and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library.

Scope and Contents:

The collection consists of reports and other documents on a variety of aviation-related topics, including general science (aeronautics, physics, chemistry, etc); military air service personnel, organization, and equipment for both US and foreign air forces; as well as operations, and so on. Information on foreign services and equipment is usually from military intelligence reports, although some foreign documents or translations are included. The material also includes a large section of test reports from the Material Division itself.

Arrangement:

Every document in the collection has been assigned a multi-part Wright Field Number. This number is adapted from the Air Force central decimal correspondence filing system. Wright Field Numbers are written in the format:

[Subject Code] [Category Suffix] / [Sequence Number] [Sequence Modifier]

• Subject Code: This number begins with an alpha-numeric subject code. For example, D52.1 (Airplanes, arranged alphabetically).

• Category Suffix: A more specific textual subject reference. For example, in the D52.1 subjects, the suffix is usually a manufacturer name, aircraft name, or a general type of aircraft. (Original Wright Field cataloguers could be inconsistent in how they classified an airplane. For example, a document on a Japanese Mitsubishi A6M could be filed alphabetically under A6M, Mitsubishi, Zeke, Zero, or Misc. Japanese.) It is possible to not have a category suffix.

• Sequence Number: The individual number assigned to the document within its subject code and category. If a document was formerly classified as "Security Information," the sequence number starts with "S," for example "S-1." These are usually filed at the beginning of a range of documents. Sometimes technical manuals are filed using the technical order (TO) number. For example, 01-20EE-3 is the sequence number used for a Boeing B-17 Handbook of Overhaul Instructions, TO-01-20EE-3.

• Sequence Modifier: If there is a revision or multiple parts of a document, this is reflected in a sequence modifier. Ex. Dates, revision numbers, etc.

The documents are arranged alpha-numerically by Wright Field Number in the order of:

Subject Code, Category Suffix, Sequence Number, Sequence Modifier

Example of arrangement by Wright Field Number:

D52.1 / 42

D52.1 Aeronca / 2

D52.1 Boeing / S-1

D52.1 Boeing / 422

D52.1 Boeing / 511 Dec 1, 1941

D52.1 Boeing / 511 vol. 2 March 1, 1943

D52.1 Misc. Japanese / 46

Each record contains the title and source from the index cards. Information from the subject field on the cards appears as a scope and content note.

Currently, the finding aid only covers documents from the D52.1 subject code and only those that are physically located in the Wright Field Technical Documents Library. Please contact the NASM Archives regarding additional documents. Some may be located in the Technical Reference Files, cataloguing information may be only on the index cards, or the document has been catalogued as missing from the collection.

Biographical / Historical:

In 1917, the United States Army Air Service established an aviation engineering section at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In 1927, the Engineering Division, as it was then known, moved to nearby Wilbur Wright Field and remained there as the Air Force Materiel Division (AFMD) and Air Materiel Command (AMC) until Wright Field combined with Patterson Field to become Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in 1948. The Engineering Division was responsible for Army Air Services research and development and served as a clearinghouse for information on aviation development worldwide. Throughout its history the Engineering Division/Materiel Division maintained a catalogued library of documents, which was turned over to the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson and was later donated to the National Air and Space Museum.

Provenance:

United States Air Force Museum, Transfer, 1962, NASM.XXXX.0428.

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:

Military intelligence  Search this

Airplanes, Military -- Flight testing  Search this

Aeronautics, Military  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Aeronautics, Military -- Research  Search this

Genre/Form:

Correspondence

Publications

Reports

Photographs

Identifier:

NASM.XXXX.0428

See more items in:

Wright Field Technical Documents Library

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2124245c3-eb7c-495a-a446-e87ba26d8251

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0428

Extent:

0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, Printed invitation with hand-lettered name., 4.25 x 5.4 inches)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Invitations

Date:

October 10, 1923

Summary:

This single-item collection consists of an invitation to the christening of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey, on October 10, 1923.

Scope and Contents:

This single-item collection consists of an invitation to the christening of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey, on October 10, 1923: "The Secretary of the Navy requests the pleasure of the company of Mr. Benjamin Postman at the Christening of the U. S. S. Shenandoah on Wednesday afternoon, October the tenth at two o'clock at the United States Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey."

Arrangement:

No arrangement.

Biographical / Historical:

Plans for the construction of the US Navy airship ZR-1 USS Shenandoah, the first rigid airship to be built in the United States, were begun in September 1919; her parts were manufactured at the Naval Aircraft Factory and then shipped to NAS Lakehurst for final assembly. The assembly began on February 11, 1922, and the Shenandoah was christened on October 10, 1923. Despite her relatively short life of two years, the Shenandoah achieved many firsts during her operational career. She was the first rigid airship to be inflated with helium; the first to use water recovery apparatus for the continuous recovery of ballast from the exhaust gas of fuel burned; and she completed the most extended operation accomplished by an airship up to that time, completing 57 flights, logging 740 hours in the air, and covering about 28,000 miles on flights designed to train crewmen in the science of handling large airships in naval missions. Sadly, the airship was to meet a tragic end. Before dawn on the morning of September 3, 1925, over eastern Ohio, the Shenandoah encountered a severe storm. She broke in two; the control car separated and fell to the ground while the forward section of the ship rose to a great height and remained in the air for the greater part of an hour before making a free balloon landing at Sharon, Ohio, with the bulk of the airship crashing near Ava, Ohio. Fourteen of the 43-person crew were killed.

Provenance:

Alan S. Postman, gift, 1988, NASM. 1988.0054.

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:

Aeronautics  Search this

Airships  Search this

Naval aviation  Search this

ZR-1 Shenandoah  Search this

Genre/Form:

Invitations

Citation:

ZR-1 Shenandoah Christening Invitation, Acc. NASM.1988.0054, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.1988.0054

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2806e3536-f695-4e57-bdad-8a77608408b6

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-1988-0054

Creator:

Rich, Doris L.  Search this

Names:

Earhart, Amelia, 1897-1937  Search this

Mantz, Paul  Search this

Rich, Doris L.  Search this

Extent:

3.89 Cubic feet (8 legal document boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Publications

Photographs

Correspondence

Date:

1890-1990

Summary:

This collection consists of material collected and organized by Doris L. Rich during research in preparation for her 1989 book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Materials include reproductions of newspapers, books, periodicals, correspondence, and typed/handwritten notes by Rich.

Scope and Contents:

This collection consists of material collected and organized by Doris L. Rich during research in preparation for her 1989 book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography. Materials include reproductions of newspapers, books, periodicals, correspondence, and typed/handwritten notes by Rich.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into 5 series, based upon the original order provided by Doris L. Rich.

Series 1: Biographical Files

Series 2: Amelia Earhart Chronology

Series 3: Historical Chronology

Series 4: Book Correspondence

Series 5: Subject Files and Bibliography

Information added by processing archivist is in brackets. Most notably, Doris L. Rich maintained a very formal tone in her correspondence, frequently addressing women by their married name only, ex. Mollison, Mrs. James. The processing archivist has added additonal name information in brackets when possible, ex. [Amy Johnson].

Biographical / Historical:

Amelia Earhart (1897-1937) in 1928 was the first woman to fly (as a passenger) across the Atlantic, and in 1932 the first woman (and second person, after Charles Lindbergh) to fly solo and nonstop across that ocean. She flew many record flights, published several books, and accomplished much for women in aviation before attempting, on June 1, 1937, an around-the-world flight from Miami, Florida, in a twin-engine Lockheed Electra. She and navigator Frederick J. Noonan were flying from Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island when they disappeared over the Pacific Ocean on July 2, 1937. An exhaustive sea and air search, ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt, was unsuccessful in locating Earhart and Noonan.

Doris L. Rich (1920-2009) was a freelance journalist and photographer in Hong Kong from 1949 to 1967. She taught English in Bangladesh and Ghana before moving to Washington, DC in the late 1970s. Her first book, Amelia Earhart: A Biography, was published by the Smithsonian Press in 1989. In the book, Rich downplays Earhart's disappearance and instead focuses on Earhart's many contributions to the aviation field and her championing of women's rights. The book was proclaimed one of the Notable Books of the Year by the New York Times in 1990 and served as the basis for Amelia Earhart: The Final Flight, a made-for-television movie in 1994.

Provenance:

Doris L. Rich, Gift, 1990, NASM.1991.0003

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:

Aeronautics  Search this

Women in aeronautics  Search this

Women air pilots  Search this

Air pilots -- United States -- Biography  Search this

Periodicals  Search this

Genre/Form:

Publications

Photographs

Correspondence

Citation:

Amelia Earhart: A Biography [Rich] Collection, Acc. NASM.1991.0003, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NASM.1991.0003

See more items in:

"Amelia Earhart: A Biography" [Rich] Collection

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2045b5dff-ef1c-4177-b749-309a502ad83a

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-1991-0003

Collection Creator:

Rich, Doris L.  Search this

Container:

Box 1, Folder 1

Type:

Archival materials

Date:

1922-1960

Scope and Contents:

Acosta, Bert; Alsterbend, Noah; Andrews, Roy Chapman; and selections from the Aircraft Yearbook [AYB] including "Chronology of Aeronautical Events" from 1921-1936, "Epochal Flights of 1927," "Wings for Women 1930," "History Making Flights of 1932," "Notable Flights of 1934," "The Navy Air Forces" (1938), "American Aviation in 1923 as Constrasted with Development Abroad," "Accidents - and the Lack of Air Law."

Collection Restrictions:

No restrictions on access

Collection 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 Citation:

Amelia Earhart: A Biography [Rich] Collection, Acc. NASM.1991.0003, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

See more items in:

"Amelia Earhart: A Biography" [Rich] Collection

"Amelia Earhart: A Biography" [Rich] Collection / Series 1: Biographical Files

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg201c95e63-a170-47eb-9c81-76422917ded4

EDAN-URL:

ead_component:sova-nasm-1991-0003-ref506

Interviewer:

Ellsworth, Scott, Dr.  Search this

Creator:

Smithsonian Institution  Search this

Fallon McElligott Advertising Agency  Search this

Federal Express Corporation  Search this

Names:

Ally & Gargano, Inc.  Search this

Collector:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History  Search this

Interviewee:

Ally, Carl  Search this

Altenburg, Nancy  Search this

Burnham, Patrick  Search this

Frazier, Sharon  Search this

Gargano, Amil  Search this

Kelly, Patrick  Search this

Miller, William B.  Search this

Moschitta, John (actor)  Search this

Oliver, Tom  Search this

Presley, Carol  Search this

Sedelmaier, Joe (filmmaker)  Search this

Smith, Fred  Search this

Tesch, Mike  Search this

Williams, Carl  Search this

Extent:

6.6 Cubic feet (20 boxes)

Container:

Map-folder 5

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Interviews

Oral history

Commercials

Videotapes

Clippings

Storyboards

Posters

Audiocassettes

Abstracts

Advertisements

Audiotapes

Place:

Memphis (Tenn.)

Minneapolis (Minn.)

Chicago (Ill.)

Hollywood (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Date:

1972-1989

Summary:

Created in 1971, the Federal Express Corporation, an overnight air freight delivery system was an innovative company known for its memorable advertising campaigns. The core of the Federal Express Advertising History Collection is a series of interviews conducted in 1988 by Dr. Scott Ellsworth. Twenty-five individuals associated with Federal Express advertising were interviewed about the company and its award-winning advertising.

Scope and Contents:

The Federal Express Advertising Collection documents the dvelopment of the overnight air freight delivery company with particular emphasis on the innovative advertising campaigns used to introduce and promote the company's services. The oral histories with individuals associated with both Federal Express Corporation and the advertising agencies form the core of the collection. Abstracts that provide biographical information and summaries of the interviews supplement the oral histories. Research files and company publications provide background information. Television commercials and print advertising contain examples, particularly illustrating the campaigns discussed in the interviews.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged into eight series.

Series 1, Research Files, 1972-1988

Subseries 1.1, Federal Express Clippings Files

Subseries 1.2, Federal Express Research Reports

Subseries 1.3, Research Files

Series 2, Interviewee Files, 1988

Series 3, Oral History Interviews, 1988

Subseries 3.1, Original Interviews

Subseries 3.2, Researcher Copies

Subseries 3.3, Masters

Series 4, Television Advertising, 1973-1989

Subseries 4.1, Television Commercials

Subseries 4.2, Storyboards

Subseries 4.3, Slides and Photographs

Series 5, Print Advertising, 1972-1988

Subseries 5.1, Federal Express Print Advertising

Subseries 5.2, Federal Express Mechanicals

Subseries 5.3, Slides of Mechanicals and International Marketing

Subseries 5.4, Federal Express Posters

Subseries 5.5, Print Reference Materials

Series 6, Public Relations Materials, 1973-1988

Series 7, Company Publications, 1973-1988

Series 8, Miscellaneous, Undated

Biographical / Historical:

In 1971, Fred Smith of Memphis, Tennessee created the Federal Express Corporation, an overnight air freight delivery system. He based his idea for a new approach to the air freight delivery service on the "hub and spoke system." According to Smith's innovative model, a fleet of airplanes would fly packages from cities across the nation each evening to a central "hub" in Memphis, where the parcels would be unloaded, sorted, and re-loaded onto other planes for travel to their final destinations. Smith's objective was two-fold: to expedite delivery of the parcels and to ensure their security in the process.

In 1977, Congress passed the Air Cargo Deregulation Act. This enabled Federal Express to fly much larger planes and to expand its business without substantial capital investment. During its first decade of existence, the corporation achieved remarkable success, enjoying its first billion-dollar revenue in 1981.

Federal Express originally employed two advertising agencies: Ally & Gargano, Inc. of New York City (1974-1987) and Fallon McElligott of Minneapolis (1987 - 1994). In its early years, Federal Express was attracted to Ally & Gargano due to the agency's small size and its entrepreneurial spirit. Fred Smith believed these traits would foster the creativity necessary for original and effective advertising to introduce Federal Express. It was the responsibility of the agency to convince customers not only to abandon such incumbants in the industry as Emery, United Parcel Service and the U.S. Postal Service, but also to trust Federal Express, a newcomer.

Ally & Gargano targeted the professional community and the general public through print advertisements and television commercials. Especially in the latter medium, the agency used humor as its primary marketing technique, emphasizing competitors' "slowness" and "unreliability." In 1981, the agency launched a series of widely acclaimed ads with John Moschitta as the "Fast Talking Man." The slogan "When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight" seen at the close of most commercials served as a practical reminder of Federal Express' function.

Federal Express moved its account from Ally & Gargano to Fallon McElligott in 1987. Fallon McElligott's first television campaign used the phrase "It's more than just a package -- it's your business" and depicted scenes of different work environments. The campaign stressed the seriousness with which Federal Express handled its customers' parcels. In 1988, Federal Express was a sponsor of the Winter Olympics.

Related Materials:

Materials in the Archives Center

Ally and Gargano, Inc. Print Advertisements (AC0938)

Provenance:

Made by the Smithsonian Institution and donated by the Federal Express Corporation, 1988.

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Rights:

Collection items available for reproduction, but the Archives Center makes no guarantees concerning copyright restrictions. Other intellectual property rights may apply. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.

Topic:

Television advertising  Search this

Advertising campaigns  Search this

advertising -- History  Search this

Broadcast advertising  Search this

Service industries  Search this

Overnight delivery service  Search this

Aeronautics, Commercial -- Freight  Search this

Business -- History  Search this

Genre/Form:

Interviews -- 1970-1990

Oral history

Commercials

Videotapes

Clippings

Storyboards

Posters

Audiocassettes

Abstracts

Advertisements

Audiotapes

Citation:

The Federal Express Advertising History Collection, 1972-1989, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smiithsonian Institution.

Identifier:

NMAH.AC.0306

See more items in:

The Federal Express Advertising History Collection

Archival Repository:

Archives Center, National Museum of American History

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ep86973c74c-876d-4304-bf50-71019342f829

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nmah-ac-0306

Creator:

Crossfield, A. Scott (Albert Scott), 1921-  Search this

Names:

Eastern Air Lines  Search this

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)  Search this

North American Aviation, Inc.  Search this

Extent:

20.23 Cubic feet (42 boxes)

Type:

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Audiotapes

Correspondence

Manuscripts

Date:

1940 - 2004

Summary:

This collection consists of over nine cubic feet of material documenting Scott Crossfield's aviation career, with emphasis on his involvement with the North American X-15. The following types of material are included: correspondence; reel to reel tapes; papers, manuscripts; newspaper and magazine clippings; aviation manuals; photographs; film; and Crossfield's notes and reports.

Scope and Content note:

This collection encompasses the entirety of Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr.'s career as an engineer, test pilot, airline executive, and speaker and advocate for aerospace education. Records in the collection date from Crossfield's time at college in the 1940s through his death in 2006. Crossfield's papers were donated to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives by the Crossfield family in 2006 and a second batch of material was received in 2008. The collection was received without any apparent organizational scheme, but some items were received in labeled folders and these folder titles were retained when the collection was processed. One group of material was loaned by the family for copying and these items were photocopied and placed within the appropriate folder in the case of documents, or were scanned and entered into the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives image database in the case of photographs.

After his retirement from North American Aviation, Inc., Crossfield gave his papers to a former secretary, Marion Brown, so that she could organize them for his use in future writing projects. In February 1973, a U.S. Navy Vought A-7E Corsair II crashed into the apartment building where Brown lived and all of Crossfield's papers in her possession were destroyed. Due to this incident, the collection has more material from Crossfield's time with Eastern Air Lines and onwards, although the prior years are still well represented through records that were either retained in Crossfield's possession or copies that were gathered after the fact. There is correspondence from Crossfield relating to the crash in Box 11 of the collection.

The archival materials in this collection are organized into four series. The first series is composed of personal materials and includes school records, correspondence, personal photographs, records relating to various organizations in which Crossfield was active, information relating to the publication of Crossfield's autobiography, Always Another Dawn, other writings by Crossfield, financial records, subject files assembled by Crossfield, philatelic materials (Crossfield was an active collector and was a founding member and officer of The Aviation Historical Foundation, a philatelic organization), and news clippings. The material in this series is largely organized chronologically. Personal photographs and subject files are organized by topic first and chronologically within each folder and organizations are arranged alphabetically by name first and also chronologically within the individual folders.

The second series contains items relating to Crossfield's professional life, organized chronologically by place of employment. This series includes materials relating to Crossfield's work at Boeing, the U.S. Navy, the Kirsten Wind Tunnel at the University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), North American Aviation, Inc., Eastern Air Lines, Hawker Siddeley Aviation, Crossfield's work as an Independent Technical Advisor, Crossfield's application for the position of Director of the National Air and Space Museum, Crossfield's time as a member of the United States Organizing Committee, and his work with organizations such as the Scott Crossfield Foundation and The Wright Experience. During the later part of his life, Crossfield toured the country extensively giving speeches, presenting awards, etc. and there is a large amount of material relating to these appearances in this part of the collection. These materials arrived already organized chronologically by individual trip and this organizational scheme was retained. Specifically, the professional life series includes flight reports, manuals, drawings, business correspondence, administrative records, presentations and papers, travel itineraries, notebooks, calendars, speeches delivered by Crossfield, and career related photographs (which are broken out as their own subseries). The professional life series also includes a section of miscellaneous professional items including job seeking correspondence, information on the patent for a power wheel braking or driving unit designed by Crossfield, and a folder of Crossfield's résumés.

The third series consists of audiotapes and is organized first by tape format and then chronologically within each category. Subjects of the audiotapes include speeches, a large number of North American X-15 cockpit recordings and radio communications, tape produced for a television program, and autobiographical notes. A number of the audiotapes include no description. With a total of 65 examples in this series, the most common audiotape format in the collection is, by far, 7 inch reel to reel tapes. Other formats in this series include 5 inch reel to reel tapes, 3.125 by 3.5 inch metal audiotape cartridges, and Dictaphone recording belts. Please note that these audio recordings are unavailable to the researcher at the time of processing due to the format and fragility of the tapes.

The fourth series of this collection is comprised of oversized materials and additional materials including galley proofs, news clippings, drawings, charts, professional records, and photographs. The organization of this series mirrors the folder titles found in the rest of the collection.

The researcher should note that the collection also contains several motion picture films relating to the life and career of Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr. These films are not included in the container list but a NASM Archives staff person can assist you regarding access.

Arrangement:

The A. Scott Crossfield Papers are organized into the following series and subseries:

Series I: Personal Materials

1.1 School Records

1.2 Correspondence

1.3 Personal Photographs

1.4 Organizations

1.5 Information Related to the Publication of Always Another Dawn

1.6 Other Writings by Crossfield

1.7 Financial Records

1.8 Subject Files

1.9 Philatelic Materials

1.10 News Clippings

1.11 Miscellaneous Personal Records

Series II: Professional Life

2.1 Boeing

2.2 U.S. Navy

2.3 Kirsten Wind Tunnel, University of Washington Aeronautical Laboratory

2.4 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)

2.5 North American Aviation, Inc.

2.6 Eastern Air Lines

2.7 Hawker Siddeley Aviation

2.8 Independent Technical Advisor

2.9 Application for NASM Director Position

2.10 United States Organizing Committee

2.11 Scott Crossfield Foundation

2.12 The Wright Experience

2.13 Speaking Engagements and Professional Appearances

2.14 Career Related Photographs

2.14 Miscellaneous Professional Records

Series III: Audiotapes

Series IV: Oversized Materials

Biographical/Historical note:

Albert Scott "Scotty" Crossfield, Jr. was born on October 2, 1921, in California. As a young boy, Crossfield was often confined indoors due to health problems related to pneumonia and rheumatic fever. During this time, he dreamed of becoming a pilot and designed and constructed model airplanes. Crossfield took his first airplane ride in 1927, at six years old, in an Alexander Eaglerock A-1 piloted by family friend Charles "Carl" Lienesch. Lienesch also encouraged Crossfield to become an engineer as well as a pilot. Unbeknownst to Crossfield's parents, he began taking flying lessons at the age of 12 at Wilmington Airport under the tutelage of pilot Vaughn McNulty. The family later moved to Washington State and it was there, at the Chehalis Airport, that Crossfield made his first solo flight in a Curtiss Robin. It was not until the summer of 1941, however, that Crossfield officially soloed and earned his pilot's license under the Civil Aeronautics Authority (CAA), Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP).

Crossfield enrolled in the University of Washington in 1940 and worked at the Boeing plant in Seattle, beginning in the fall of 1941, while still pursuing his studies. Crossfield's first assignment at Boeing was as an assembly page clerk. He was later promoted to the position of production expediter and shop salvage engineer. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Crossfield enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps and continued to work at Boeing while he waited for an opening in a cadet class. In February 1942, tired of waiting on the Air Corps and eager to get into combat, Crossfield enlisted in the U.S. Navy instead where he joined the cadet class of May 7, 1942. Crossfield first trained in Seattle, Washington, and later was sent to the Naval Air Training Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he earned his Naval Aviator's wings in 1942. During his time in the Navy, Crossfield never fulfilled his ambition to see combat because he was selected instead to remain at Corpus Christi as a flight and gunnery instructor. Crossfield eventually was sent to Hawaii to prepare and train for an invasion of Japan but the war ended before this became necessary. During his time in the U.S. Navy, Crossfield flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat, Vought F4U Corsair, and the North American SNJ Texan, among other aircraft. After he separated from active duty with the Service, Crossfield remained active in the Naval Reserves and was part of an aerobatic team at Sand Point Naval Air Station that flew Goodyear FG-1D Corsairs.

Crossfield returned to his studies at the University of Washington in 1946 and was employed doing tests at the Kirsten Wind Tunnel at the University's Aeronautical Laboratory. Crossfield earned his Bachelor of Science degree in aeronautical engineering in 1949 and his master's degree in aeronautical science in 1950. After obtaining his degrees, Crossfield joined the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) as a research pilot. During his time with NACA, Crossfield flew many aircraft including the Convair XF-92A, Bell X-1, Northrop X-4 Bantam, Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, Bell X-5, Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, North American F-86 Sabre, and the North American F-100A Super Sabre. Crossfield made history in the Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket on November 20, 1953, as the first pilot to exceed Mach 2 (twice the speed of sound).

In 1955, Crossfield left NACA and joined North American Aviation, Inc. to work on the X-15 program where he would not only serve as the X-15 Project Pilot but also as a Design Specialist, a role in which he was an integral part of the design of both the aircraft and the pressure suit developed by the David Clark Company for the X-15 program. The suit served as a prototype for the spacesuits later worn by astronauts. Crossfield helped to develop the X-15's cockpit, control, and engine systems; structural design; propulsion system; engineered its escape system; and contributed to its handling quality requirements. He also developed the ground control test methodology that would later become standard on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo space programs. Crossfield piloted the North American X-15 on its first captive flight in March 1959, first glide flight in June 1959, and the first powered flight in September 1959, as well as numerous other test flights, before the X-15 was delivered to the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in February 1960. Crossfield also served as Chief Engineering Test Pilot at North American from 1955-1961 before moving to the Space and Information Systems Division first as the Director of Systems Test (1961) then as the Division Director of Test and Quality Assurance (1961-1966) where he was responsible for quality control in all North American projects including the Hounddog Missile (AGM-28, GAM-77), Paragliders for the Gemini program, Apollo Command and Service Module, and the Saturn V launch vehicles, second stage. Crossfield's final position with North American was as the Technical Director, Research, Engineering and Test from 1966-1967.

Crossfield joined Eastern Air Lines in Miami, Florida, as Division Vice President, Flight, Research, and Development, Flight Operations in 1967, a position he held until 1971 when he moved to Washington, DC, to serve as Staff Vice President, Transportation Systems Development (1971-1973). From 1974 to 1975, Crossfield served as Senior Vice President at Hawker Siddeley Aviation's U.S. subsidiary branch, an office he helped to establish. After leaving Hawker Siddeley, Crossfield served for many years as an independent technical advisor to the U.S. Congress. Crossfield also served on the United States Organizing Committee to plan the Air and Space Bicentennial. In the later part of his life, Crossfield traveled extensively to give talks, attend events, and make various professional appearances and it was on a return flight home from one such trip in 2006 that Crossfield was killed when the plane he was piloting was caught in a thunderstorm.

Crossfield was active in various organizations including the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the National Aeronautic Association (NAA), and the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), a group in which he was a founding member. Crossfield also created the Scott Crossfield Foundation to support aerospace education. Crossfield was the recipient of numerous awards and honors including the Sperry (Lawrence B.) Memorial Award (1954) and Chanute (Octave) Award (AIAA, 1958), Kincheloe Award (SETP, 1960), Harmon Trophy (1960), Collier (Robert J.) Trophy (1961), NASA Distinguished Service Medal (1993), and the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Trophy for Lifetime Achievement (2000).

Crossfield published his autobiography, Always Another Dawn, in 1960 with Clay Blair, Jr. and is the author of numerous other publications, articles, and technical papers.

Provenance:

Alice Crossfield, Gift, 2006

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.

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Citation:

A. Scott Crossfield Papers, Accession number 2006-0041, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

A. Scott Crossfield Papers, Acc. 2006-0041, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

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