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:
Philip Van Horn (P. V. H.) Weems Papers, Accession 2012.0052, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
Philip Van Horn (P. V. H.) Weems Papers, Accession 2012.0052, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
Philip Van Horn (P. V. H.) Weems Papers, Accession 2012.0052, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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:
Philip Van Horn (P. V. H.) Weems Papers, Accession 2012.0052, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Ephemeral archival materials from American schools, primarily from the northeastern United States, and primarily in the 19th century. Types of materials include instruction books and kits; students' work books and notebooks; flash cards; lesson books, some on religious subjects; religious tracts; printed lectures; students' report cards; school registers; attendance records; printed examinations; homework assignments; teachers' reports; scrapbooks; certificates of award; penmanship samples; diplomas; programs from school events; prints of school scenes; account books; receipts; school reports; and business documents of school boards.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into one series.
Biographical / Historical:
Lodish, an avid collector of the material culture of education, was principal of Sidwell Friends Lower School in Washington, D.C.
Provenance:
Collection donated by Richard Lodish, 2014 and 2015.
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.
11.39 Cubic feet (consisting of 25 boxes, 2 folders, 4 oversize folders, 1 map case folder, plus digital images of some collection material.)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Examinations (documents)
Speeches
Catalogs
Trade catalogs
Reports
Sales records
Trade literature
Print advertising
Business cards
Programs
Training manuals
Invoices
Publications
Business records
Advertising cards
Advertising mail
Certificates
Business ephemera
Manuals
Sales letters
Awards
Dance cards
Business letters
Commercial correspondence
Ephemera
Illustrations
Photographs
Sermons
Letterheads
Advertising
Printed ephemera
Catalogues
Theater programs
Report cards
Receipts
Advertising fliers
Legal documents
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Lesson books
Periodicals
School records
Date:
1745-1973
bulk 1840-1930
Summary:
A New York bookseller, Warshaw assembled this collection over nearly fifty years. The Warshaw Collection of Business Americana: Accounting and Bookkeeping forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Subseries 1.1: Subject Categories. The Subject Categories subseries is divided into 470 subject categories based on those created by Mr. Warshaw. These subject categories include topical subjects, types or forms of material, people, organizations, historical events, and other categories. An overview to the entire Warshaw collection is available here: Warshaw Collection of Business Americana
Scope and Contents note:
Most materials present are records and information related to specific schools and institutions and their operations. There are no complete records for any single organization. K-12 public, private schools are represented, as well as colleges, universities, vocational training, plus home study, correspondence courses, Sunday Schools and some religious instruction. HBCUs are not represented, though there may be a general item or two related to one or more of the HBCU schools. There is a sampling of teaching and learning tools such as workbooks, textbooks, and curriculum guides, plus publications for educators. A portion of the material focuses on administration and the profession of education. Student Services and Engagement covers the social aspects of higher education.
Arrangement note:
Schools is arranged in two subseries.
Institutions
By Name
Administration and Records
Genre
Advertisements
Images
Instruction and Learning: Tools and Resources
Post Family Education Records
Serial Publications for Educators and Administrators
Forms Part Of:
Forms part of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana.
Series 1: Business Ephemera
Series 2: Other Collection Divisions
Series 3: Isadore Warshaw Personal Papers
Series 4: Photographic Reference Material
Provenance:
Schools is a portion of the Business Ephemera Series of the Warshaw Collection of Business Americana, Accession AC0060 purchased from Isadore Warshaw in 1967. Warshaw continued to accumulate similar material until his death, which was donated in 1971 by his widow, Augusta. For a period after acquisition, related materials from other sources (of mixed provenance) were added to the collection so there may be content produced or published after Warshaw's death in 1969. This practice has since ceased.
Restrictions:
Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
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.
Certificates -- School attendance -- 1930-1940 -- Illinois
Ephemera
Illustrations
Photographs
Sermons
Letterheads
Publications -- Business
Advertising
Printed ephemera
Catalogues
Theater programs
Report cards
Receipts
Advertising fliers
Legal documents
Scrapbooks
Correspondence
Lesson books
Periodicals
School records
Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Schools, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
The Martin and Morris Company Records date from ca. 1930 to 1985 and document a neglected part of the American music historical record. The collection is particularly important because of the company's contributions to the field of Gospel music. According to Horace Boyer (in We'll Understand It Better....), Martin and Morris Music Company was the only music house that would publish compositions by others than themselves during the heyday years of Gospel music (ca.1945-1965). From the collection it can be noted also that Gospel music in the United States was a grass roots activity. Insight as to its development and distribution can be gained through study of the firm's records.
Some of the more well known musicians whose compositions were published by Martin and Morris include: William H. Brewster, Dorothy Love Coates, Lucie Campbell, Alex Bradford, Sam Cook, and Raymond Rasberry. In addition to the noted musicians, several lesser-known artists and members of churches and pastorates from around the nation were published by Martin and Morris and their music was distributed throughout the country and around the world.
Included in the collection are printed Gospel sheet music and music song books, photographs, and business records and ephemera that illustrate the company's business operations. The collection is arranged in six series.
Series 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1941 1980, consists of four document boxes of materials dating from 1941 through 1980. The correspondence relates to arrangement, cost, and publication of songs from other music companies and individual composers and songwriters. Also included in this series is information pertaining to copyright of song titles, settlements of law suits, and other correspondence concerning disagreements between Martin and Morris and songwriters. The correspondence is arranged by year, and thereafter alphabetically by last names within each period.
Series 2: BUSINESS And FINANCIAL RECORDS, 1940 1978, documents the ordering, sales, publication, and distribution processes of the Martin and Morris Music Company, Inc. Consisting of four document and three flat storage boxes, the materials include bank books, order books, ledgers, and journals. Also contained within this series is one document box of materials consisting of agreements and contracts between Martin and Morris and others; copyright and permissions documents; company invoices; corporate income tax returns; financial statements, and business advertising ephemera, such as programs, calendars, catalogs, and receipts. Many of the books ledgers and journals in this series had bits of paper stuck between the pages. They have been filed in "ephemera folders" of the same number as the book. Items are tagged with information indicating original locations.
Series 3: SHEET MUSIC, ca. 1930 1985, consists of nine document boxes and one flat storage box of song sheets in octavo and full size. Dating from the 1940's to the 1980's, the series comprises music published by Martin and Morris (3A), music distributed by Martin and Morris (3B), and works produced and distributed by other publishers (3C and 3D). Materials are arranged by publisher. Under each publisher, materials are arranged alphabetically by title.
There are two boxes of song titles in Subseries 3A: Music Published by Martin and Morris. Some of the more recognizable ones are: Go down Moses, God be with you till we meet again, I couldn't hear nobody pray, I want two wings, I'm Climbin' Up on the rough side of the mountain, Lead me, guide me, No cross, no crown, Stand by me, What do you know about Jesus ( He's alright). Composers and performers include Doris Akers, Rev. James Cleveland, Thomas Dorsey, Mahalia Jackson, C. A. Tindley.
Subseries 3B: Publishers Distributed by Martin and Morris is in two parts. The first is arranged by publisher, including the Lion, Savgos, and Savoy companies. The second comprises miscellaneous copyright owners & publishers distributed by Martin and Morris. Many of the titles in this section were arranged by Kenneth Morris. Included in this group, which is arranged by title, are compositions performed by artists such as Alex Bradford, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, AndraÇ Crouche, Rev. J. G. Moore, The O'Neal Twins, The Raymond Rasberry Singers, and Donald Vails. Some illustrations of the above groups are included in this section.
Representative publishers included in Subseries 3C: Other Publishers are: Margaret Aikens, Boosey & Hawkes, Bowles, Lucie Campbell, Theodore Frye, Frazier-Cleveland, Roberta Martin, Sallie Martin, Chas. Pace, Theodore Presser, Raymond Rasberry, and Dorothy Akers. The oversized materials from this series appear in Box 9.
Subseries 3D: Miscellaneous Publishers consists of compositions from publishing companies that have three or less sheet music titles appearing in the Martin and Morris Music Company Records. The compositions are arranged alphabetically by title. Compositions range in date from 1930's to the 1980's and include works written or performed by such greats as the Clara Ward Singers, the Davis Sisters, The Golden Tone Singers, Cleavant Derricks, and Eddie Simmons. There are dozens of titles included in this section. Among them are: He is my all and all, If I can help somebody, and Rock of Ages. Also included in this section are Christmas titles and some pop tunes. The oversized materials from this series appear in Box 9 which consists of folio sized music. Among the composers is Thomas Dorsey. Donald Vails is numbered among the performers. Many of the pieces in folder 2 contain color illustrations. A listing of titles and composers also has been compiled for this folder and is included therein.
Series 4: SONG BOOKS, ca. 1930 1985, consists of 5 document boxes of song books in octavo and full size. Dating from the 1940's to the 1980's, the series comprises music published or distributed by Martin and Morris (4A), and works produced and distributed by other publishers (4B and 4C). Materials are arranged by publisher. When needed, under each publisher, materials are listed alphabetically by title. Composers and performers include Alex Bradford, James Cleveland, The Davis Sisters, Sallie Martin, The Roberta Martin Singers, The Singing Caravans, and The Clara Ward Singers. There are lesson books included in the boxes marked Other Publishers, and the final box of miscellaneous publishers includes lesson books for jazz and blues piano, and guitar. The oversized materials from this series appear in Box 9.
Series 4C: Miscellaneous Publishers, comprises miscellaneous copyright owners and publishers, and is arranged by title. It consists of song books from publishing companies that have three or less titles appearing in the Martin and Morris Music Company Records. The books are arranged in alphabetical order by publisher.
Series 5: ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHS, nd., contains photos that were often submitted for publication on the covers of music or flyers or other advertising materials distributed by the Martin and Morris Music Company. This half document box of materials includes photos of Kenneth Morris, Joe May, the Spirit of Memphis Quartette, the Raymond Rasberry Singers, the Singing Caravan, and Martin & Morris Studios' personnel, among others. Materials are undated, and some remain unidentified.
Series 6: ADVERTISING EPHEMERA, ca. 1935-1979, the final series of the Martin and Morris Music Company Records, also comprises one half document box. It contains ephemera such as newspaper clippings, calendars, publicity materials, and programs.
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into six series.
Series 1: Correspondence, 1941-1980
Series 2: Business and Financial Records, 1940-1978
Series 3: Sheet Music, circa 1930-1985
Series 4: Song Books, circa 1930-1985
Series 5: Advertising Photographs, undated
Series 6: Advertising Ephemera, circa 1935-1979
Biographical / Historical:
Kenneth Morris (1917-1988) and Sallie Martin (1896-1988) were co-owners of the nation's oldest continuously-running Black Gospel music publishing company. Martin and Morris established the firm in Chicago, Illinois and it remained in operation from 1940 until the 1980's. Martin spent most of her time on the road with her singers advertising the compositions published by the firm. Morris remained in Chicago arranging, composing, and notating music. Along with his wife, Necie, Morris also handled most of the company's paperwork.
Kenneth Morris (8/28/1917-1988), Gospel music publisher, arranger, composer, and innovator, was born in New York. Although he began making music in church as a youngster, he commenced his professional career as a jazz musician. In high school, and later while studying at the Manhattan Conservatory of Music, the ever changing Kenneth Morris Band was often billed at hotels, restaurants, and lounges. He and others of his band traveled to the "Chicago World's Fair" in 1934 to perform dance music for the day and evening concerts. Because of the heavy schedule, Morris became ill, and was forced to leave the band. However, he decided to stay in Chicago, and there met members of the Gospel music community. Among them were Lillian Bowles and Charles Pace. He spent six years with Lillian Bowles Music House, and in 1940, partnered with Sallie Martin to form Martin and Morris Music Company.
Kenneth Morris' partner, Sallie Martin (11/20/1896-6/8/1988) was a noted Gospel musician as well. Born in Pittfield, Georgia, her mother was a traveling musician. After her mother's death (ca. 1912), Martin moved to Atlanta, then to Cleveland, Ohio (1917), and finally settled in Chicago, Illinois (1919). In each of these cities, she sang in church choirs. In 1932, she auditioned for and joined the Pilgrim Baptist Church chorus lead by Thomas Dorsey. And in 1933 she began traveling with Dorsey to help promote his songs. Together they founded the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses. Martin left Dorsey and toured briefly as a soloist. She partnered with Roberta Martin for a short time, then went on to form her own women's group (The Sallie Martin Singers). She continued with the group and in 1940 she joined Kenneth Morris to form Martin and Morris Music Company.
Martin retired from music in 1970 and sold her portion of the business to Morris in 1973. A pioneering Gospel musician, she was widely known through the tours made by the Sallie Martin Singers. Their performance style influenced musicians across the country and around the world. Among her students were Dinah Washington, Jessy Dixon, Delois Barrett Campbell, and Alex Bradford.
The Martin and Morris Music Company (1940-ca. 1988) was a long awaited "dream come true" for Sallie Martin. As a frequent attendee of the First Church of Deliverance, pastored by Reverend Clarence H. Cobb, Ms. Martin often relayed her desire to him. A popular minister known as "the preacher," Cobb hired Kenneth Morris as his choir director. Morris became a pioneering and innovative Gospel musician. He is noted for the introduction of the Hammond organ to the Gospel music sound. Sallie Martin often sang with Kenneth Morris's Choir. And Cobb persuaded Morris to go into business with Sallie Martin. Martin was a great natural talent, but had no formal music training. She needed a partner who could write and arrange music.
Morris bought out Martin in 1973. And about 1978, he acquired the Theodore Frye and the Roberta Martin catalogues. The Bowles and the Beatrice Brown catalogues were also added to the firm's inventory before Mr. Morris's passing. When he died, Martin and Morris Publishing was the only surviving Black Gospel sheet music distribution house in the nation. His widow continued the business for some time after his death. There was little interest in the company by other family members, and requests for materials were dropping off. With little help and lighter profits, in 1993 Necie Morris began packing up and disposing of the company's records. For more information see We'll Understand It Better By and By, Bernice Johnson Reagon, ed., 1992, SI Press. Clickhere to go to scope and content.
Provenance:
The collection's acquisition was facilitated through Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon's long-time research on Gospel music. Among the contacts made in her research was the late Kenneth Morris. Dr. Reagon made it known to Chief Archivist, John Fleckner that the Morris family was clearing out the building which the firm had occupied since the 1940's. Mr. Fleckner made contact with Morris' widow, Mrs. Necie Morris, and selected the collection materials for the Museum during an August, 1993 visit to Chicago. Related objects, a large building sign and a banner advertisement, were acquired by the Division of Cultural History.
Restrictions:
Collection is open for research.
Rights:
Copyright restrictions. Contact Martin and Morris Music Company Records: Kenneth Morris, Jr., 913 Cordoba, University Park, IL 60466.
For performance rights contact Reginald Morris, 7400 S. Euclid Ave., Chicago, IL 60649 (773) 643-9492, e-mail: 4morreg@att.net
For clearance of Martin and Morris Music compositions on television contact Otubusin and Associates, Kristina Monkel, 77 W. Washington Blvd., #1204, Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 251-1480; e-mail: kristinamonkel@aol.com.
Bound volume with handwritten entries for the ship Saluda. Appears to have later been used as a notebook/lesson book with many hand drawn illustrations and writings unrelated to the ship and its journeys.
Series Restrictions:
Collection is open for research. Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Ships, Boats, and Vessels, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
Includes practical sailing and maritime navigational problem, monetary exchange calculations, provisions and real estate type ledger pages. Note: although this appears to be a practice book, some entries are ambiguous and the book may contain actual business entries and may have been repurposed as an exercise and lesson book at a different period of time. A few loose pages have been inserted.
Series Restrictions:
Some items may be restricted due to fragile condition.
Series 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.
Series Citation:
Warshaw Collection of Business Americana Subject Categories: Schools, Archives Center, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Sponsor:
Funding for partial processing of the collection was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Institution's Collections Care and Preservation Fund (CCPF).
The Philip Van Horn (P. V. H. ) Weems Papers contain 79 cu. ft. of materials related to his life and career.
Scope and Contents:
The Philip Van Horn (P. V. H.) Weems Papers reflect Weems' broad, restless curiosity regarding undersea, marine, aerial and space navigation. Weems' significant contributions as a great innovator and proponent of navigational techniques, practices and devices are quite evident in this collection.
Overall, this collection encompasses the years Weems spent as an officer in the U.S. Navy, with his firm, the Weems System of Navigation (WSN), as well as other navigation and non-navigation activities, roughly, from the 1910s through the 1960s. There is some material however, that dates back prior to and beyond this time span. The bulk of the collection is composed of correspondence; most of it related to Weems' involvement in the field of navigation. That said, there is a large amount of other types of archival materials contained which range from photographs, brochures, newsletters, articles and newspaper clippings to press releases, notes, handbooks and manuals. Additionally, there are drafts of papers and articles authored by Weems and other navigational notables. Undoubtedly due to Weems' long life span of ninety years and in combination with his quite varied interests, there are even more kinds of materials threaded throughout this collection.
Very little of the Weems Papers was in any discernable order upon its acquisition by the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives Division. Accordingly, the processing archivist had to organize this large amount of archival material; some of it placed in decades-old file folders while much of it was found loose and unsorted in boxes. As a result, much time was required to simply rebox, refolder and arrange such a great deal of unorganized materials.
This collection is arranged into three series. The first series is composed of personal materials that include correspondence, memoranda, journals, diaries, newsletters on the Weems family, photographs and miscellaneous materials. Each type of archival material is organized chronologically and then alphabetically. The second series consists of professional materials and is by far and away the largest segment of the Weems Papers. Within this series, correspondence is the preponderant material. This series is arranged as follows: Weems' military correspondence (including his return to service during World War II and the early 1960s), WSN correspondence from the late 1920s to the 1950s, general correspondence, memoranda, notes, drafts and worksheets, WSN-related receipts and records, logbooks, notebooks and lesson books, tables, graphs and diagrams, press/news releases, reports, handouts and briefings, manuals, handbooks, procedures and instructions, photographs, speeches and presentations, papers, brochures, pamphlets and catalogs, newsletters, notices and advertisements, books, booklets, registers and guidebooks, maps and charts, magazines and journals, articles, newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous materials. All of the above material is arranged chronologically and then alphabetically. The third series is composed of oversize materials. This material consists of photo albums, scrapbooks, oversized magazines, newspapers, drawings, blueprints, and miscellaneous materials.
Biographical / Historical:
Philip Van Horn (P.V.H.) Weems was born on March 29, 1889, on a farm in Tennessee. By age 13, both of Weems' parents died, leaving him and his six siblings to run the family farm with a minimum of help from adult neighbors. In spite of a poor primary education. Weems was able to secure admission into the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1908. Academically, he performed at a slightly above average grade level but excelled in athletics, being on the varsity crew, football and wrestling teams. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy in 1912, Weems started his sea duty aboard the USS North Dakota. Following that assignment, he served aboard the survey vessel Leonidas, Nevada and Georgia. During World War I, Weems acted as chief engineer for the troop transport Orizaba (for which he received the Navy Commendation Medal for his excellent service aboard this ship).After the war, he served aboard the destroyers Murray and O'Brien. Weems' sea duty aboard the latter vessel proved significant as the O'Brien was employed by the Navy as a picket ship for the first trans-Atlantic flight by the Curtiss NC-4 flying boat in 1919. During this major achievement in aviation, he served as ship's executive officer and thus, began his long association with aerial navigation.
As Weems' naval career advanced, so too did other aspects of his life. In 1915, he married Margaret Thackray. This marriage would prove durable as it would last until his death over 60 years later. Additionally, three children resulted from this union: Philip, Jr. (born in 1916), Margaret (born in 1919), and George (born in 1921). Eventually, both sons followed their father into military careers with the older of the two serving with the U.S. Marine Corps while the younger one made his career with the Navy. Another aspect of Weems' personal life was his great athletic prowess. During his days at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, he was an All-American center for the football team, as well as an outstanding wrestler, being awarded the Athletic Association's Sword for excellence in athletics upon graduation. After graduation, and for years thereafter, Weems continued on as a competitive athlete. In 1920, he was a member of the U.S. Olympic wrestling team that traveled to Antwerp, Belgium. Five years later, at age 36, he won the U.S. Navy's South Atlantic light-heavyweight wrestling championship. Even 30 years later, Weems would still challenge varsity wrestlers at the Naval Academy gymnasium.
By the end of World War I, Weems had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander. From 1922-24, he served as navigator aboard the USS Rochester. It was during this tour of duty that he started in earnest to study the field of navigation. Such efforts included not only marine but also aerial navigation techniques and practices. He further honed his knowledge and skills on this subject by acting as an instructor of navigation at the Naval Academy from 1925-26.
During this time as an instructor at Annapolis, Weems came across a set of Japanese navigational tables. With assistance from a fellow naval officer, Weems greatly improved upon this innovative yet incomplete method of navigation. Upon receiving permission from the original author in Japan, he eventually published this new version of these navigational tables in conjunction with the Naval Institute. This work, called the Line of Position Book, proved very popular and promptly sold out within a matter of months. Thus, by 1927, Weems was developing into one of the world's leading experts in modern navigation techniques. He would go on to exploit his navigational knowledge for the benefit of the burgeoning aviation field. This process began in earnest in late 1927 to early 1928 when he was ordered to the U.S. west coast to serve with the Pacific Fleet's Aircraft Squadron. Once there, Weems started extensive research into air navigation, later publishing a textbook with that actual title. During this time, he – along with his wife, founded the Weems System of Navigation (WSN). This business enterprise not only incorporated his thoughts, techniques and practices; it also operated as a clearing house for new theories and technologies pertaining to marine and aerial navigation. Further, WSN functioned as a navigational school (including a correspondence school format) for thousands of pilots throughout the U.S. and around the world. Such aviation luminaries as Charles Lindbergh, Douglas 'Wrong-Way' Corrigan, Amy Johnson, Dick Merrill, Admiral Richard Byrd, Harold Gatty, Fred Noonan, Wiley Post and Lincoln Ellsworth availed themselves of Weems' navigational instruction. In the years leading up to her disappearance during an around-the-world flight attempt in 1937, he had repeatedly offered such assistance to Amelia Earhart who – for the reason of scheduling conflicts, could never take advantage of such opportunities. Additionally, WSN churned out numerous articles, instructional handbooks and books on all matters revolving around aerial navigation.
With extensive assistance from his wife, Weems operated WSN while still on active duty with the U.S. Navy, during the period 1928-33. As he continued to perfect his navigational techniques, he served as executive officer aboard the fuel ship, USS Cuyama, from early 1928 through the summer of 1930. A year later, he was assigned to the Naval Academy on shore duty at the Postgraduate School. Subsequently, he was ordered to the Navy Department as Research Officer in Air Navigation – the first such officer tasked with this position. In late 1932, Weems took command of the destroyer, USS Hopkins and then was retired from the service in May, 1933.
Once retired from naval service, Weems expanded his business enterprises. His base of operations was in Annapolis, where he, Margaret and their children lived. He established a chain of schools under the banner of WSN. In tandem with his educational program, he developed and patented a number of methods and devices that greatly facilitated marine and aerial navigation. Even before leaving the service, Weems had already invented the highly prized Second-Setting Navigation Watch. Throughout the 1930s, his inventions/patents ran the gamut from Star Altitude Curves (which were published navigation tables), Mark II Plotter, Line of Position and Wind Drift Plotters to Drift and Ground Speed Meters. Weems also authored or co-authored numerous books, handbooks, manuals and articles on a variety of navigation themes. Besides his previously published Line of Position Book, he authored Air Navigation in 1931, updated editions of his Star Altitude Curves (1938, 1940 and 1950), Instrument Flying in 1940 (with co-author, Charles Zweng), Marine Navigation in 1940 and Learning to Navigate in 1943.
America's entry into World War II resulted in WSN becoming even busier with its educational programs and sales of its various navigational devices and publications. In addition, the outbreak of war meant a major change in Weems' life. Due to a shortage of naval officers, he was recalled to active duty (as a Lieutenant Commander) in July, 1942. Two months later, Weems was made a convoy commodore for the Atlantic Ocean theater of operations. For the next three years, he served with distinction in this position, having safely shepherded every merchant convoy on the trans-Atlantic run, guaranteeing that necessary supplies, arms and troops arrived safely at European and African ports. As a result of this outstanding performance, Weems was quickly promoted to Commander and then Captain. By the time he retired from active duty again in early 1946, Weems was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his actions in World War II. Before the war ended, he was also awarded his wings as a Naval Air Navigator. During his wartime service, his wife once again took the lead in managing WSN. Also, during this period, the Weemses lost their son, Philip, Jr. He was killed while serving as a Major with the U.S. Marine Corps in the Southwest Pacific in June, 1943.
After World War II and upon his second retirement from naval service, Weems continued with WSN and other business ventures. This included helping to establish Aeronautical Services, Inc., as well as Weems and Plath, Inc. The former enterprise focused on aviation-related matters while the latter stressed marine navigation. In addition, he continued with his writing about various navigational topics and inventing new techniques and devices pertaining to marine and aerial navigation. This included the Weems Position Finder in 1959 and a revising of his earlier publication, Air Navigation, in 1958. Beyond this, he co-founded and became president of the U.S. Institute of Navigation in 1952, made a flight over the North Pole in 1948 and an around-the-world flight two years later – both times actively participating in the aerial navigation of these risky (at the time) ventures. Shortly before his son's death during a test flight of a U.S. Navy aircraft in 1951, he and George made a long aerial journey in a light plane from London, England to Alice Springs, Australia, with the elder Weems performing the navigation and the younger Weems acting as pilot. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Weems even found time to participate in various underwater archeological expeditions with Ed Link (of flight simulator and submersible design fame). In 1959, he joined with Link, the National Geographic Society and the Smithsonian Institution to conduct an undersea exploration of the sunken city of Port Royal, Jamaica, lost during an earthquake in 1692. The following year, Weems participated in another adventure with Link in Israel by exploring another sunken city, Caesaria. The 'inner space' navigation techniques he developed were employed during all such underwater archeological expeditions.
In 1960, Weems received a grant from the American Philosophical Society to develop practical methods of space navigation, to be described in a handbook for use in space operations as the U.S. initiated its attempt to place humans in Earth orbit. Most of the work on this book was completed when the Navy Department ordered the Captain to active duty for a third, and last, time in 1961. He was assigned the task of conducting a pilot class in space navigation (held at the Naval Academy), as well as to produce a Space Navigation Handbook. With the assistance from several of his young students (all U.S. Navy ensigns), Weems published this handbook in early 1962. His research proved invaluable as he developed a quick way for astronauts to determine their position relative to Earth by utilizing a few visual sightings. He continued his contributions to space navigation by serving as a consultant for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Thus, by his seventies, Weems was an established expert in undersea, marine, aerial and space navigation. He had few peers anywhere on Earth in such fields of study.
Besides medals earned for his years of service in the U.S. Navy during World War I and World War II, Weems garnered many other awards and honors for his work in navigation. Among them are the following: The Thomas Gray Award from the Royal Society of Arts, England; the Gold Medal from the Aero Club of France; Fellow, Institute of Aeronautical Sciences; Fellow, American Geographical Society; the Magellanic Premium (Gold Medal) of the American Philosophical Society; the LaGorce Medal from the National Geographic Society; the Thurlow Award from the Institute of Navigation; and the Gold Medal of the British Institute of Navigation.
Beyond his career, Weems possessed a keen interest in many other subjects. Throughout most of his life, he stayed active and engaged in city of Annapolis politics, the U.S. Naval Academy, boating, yachting, retired Olympian affairs, history of all sorts, and genealogy. Furthermore, he was a regular donor of navigation-related artifacts and documents to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air Museum (and, later on, the National Air and Space Museum), as well as various historical associations and libraries from his home state of Tennessee. After a brief illness, Weems died at Annapolis' Anne Arundel Hospital on June 2, 1979, at the age of 90.
Provenance:
Thackray Seznec, Gift, 2012
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.
Rorem, Ned. -- The Paris Diary of Ned Rorem -- (post card enclosed), 1966 (see also: Cocteau, Jean)
Collection Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Gertrude Abercrombie papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
The Gertrude Abercrombie papers, circa 1880-1986, bulk 1935-1977. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Letters and Telegrams Received (Entered in Registers 2 and 3)
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
Jan. 1869–July 1870
Collection Restrictions:
Freedmen's Bureau Digital Collection, 1865–1872, is a product of and owned by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Copyright for digital images is retained by the donor, FamilySearch International; permission for commercial use of the digital images may be requested from FamilySearch International, Intellectual Property Office, at: cor-intellectualproperty@ldschurch.org.
Collection Citation:
Courtesy of the U. S. National Archives and Records Administration, FamilySearch International, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.
The Sylvia Fein papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Sylvia Fein papers, 1936-2011. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
The collection has been digitized and is available online via AAA's website.
Collection Rights:
The Cecilia Beaux papers are owned by the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. Literary rights as possessed by the donor have been dedicated to public use for research, study, and scholarship. The collection is subject to all copyright laws.
Collection Citation:
Cecilia Beaux papers, 1863-1968. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art
Domestic Life, Division of (NMAH, SI). Search this
Domestic Life, Division of (NMAH, SI). Search this
Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet (1 volume)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Newspapers
Lesson books
Place:
Massachusetts -- 19th century
Date:
1803
Scope and Contents:
Lesson book text consists primarily of mathematical exercises, with a few pages devoted to penmanship. Also includes a partial page of the "Republican Gazetteer, Boston, Sept. 4, 1802, used as an end page.
Biographical / Historical:
A note to "Mr. Watkins" (probably Malcolm Watkins, SI curator) from the donor in the collection control file indicates that the lesson book is dated Jan. 10, 1803 and that it was "used in Westford before [Timothy Prescott] moved to Littleton and then Concord."
Provenance:
Collection donated by Gertrude Prescott, 1963, April.
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.
Robinson, Franklin A., Jr., 1959- (actor) Search this
Container:
Box 64, Folder 1-4
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1943-1957
Collection Restrictions:
Unrestricted research use on site to portions of collection, but some papers of living persons are restricted. Access to restricted portions may be arranged by request to donor. Gloves required for unprotected photographs. Viewing film portions of the collection and listening to LP recording requires special appointment.
Collection Rights:
The Archives Center does not own exclusive rights to these materials. Copyright for all materials is retained by the donor, Franklin A. Robinson, Jr.; permission for commercial use and/or publication may be requested from the donor through the Archives Center. Military Records for Franklin A. Robinson (b. 1932) and correspondence from Richard I. Damalouji (1961-2014) are restricted; written permission is needed to research these files. Archives Center cost-recovery and use fees may apply when requesting reproductions.
Collection Citation:
The Robinson and Via Family Papers, Archives Center, National Museum of American History
Sponsor:
Preservation of the 8mm films in this collection was made possible, in part, by a grant from the National Film Preservation Fund.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Container:
Drawer H2, Folder 178800-01
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents note:
Documents
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
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