Search Results

Interviewee:

Tomkins, Margaret, 1916-2002  Search this

Interviewer:

Guenther, Bruce  Search this

Subject:

Fitzgerald, James  Search this

Artists Gallery (Seattle, Wash.)  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Margaret Tomkins, 1984 June 6. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Abstract expressionism  Search this

Artists -- Northwestern States -- Interviews  Search this

Art, Modern -- Northwestern States  Search this

Women artists  Search this

Women painters  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12308

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)212455

AAA_collcode_tomkin84

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_212455

Physical Description:

spruce (table material)

maple (back material)

Measurements:

overall: 25 in x 8 1/4 in x 5 1/8 in; 63.5 cm x 20.955 cm x 13.0175 cm

Object Name:

violin

Object Type:

Patent Model

Place Made:

United States: Connecticut, New London

Date made:

1854

ID Number:

MI.251398

Accession number:

48889

Catalog number:

251398

Patent number:

10,867

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Musical Instruments

Music & Musical Instruments

Violins

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-4049-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_606744

Recording artist:

Lawson-Haggart Jazz Band  Search this

Manufacturer:

Decca  Search this

Physical Description:

paper (overall material)

ink (overall material)

vinyl (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: New York, New York

Release date:

1953

Related Publication:

Jazz Records 1942-1969, Vol. 4d: Kl - L

Credit Line:

Gift of Lucy C. Shain in memory of James Lewis Shain

ID Number:

1978.0670.695

Accession number:

1978.0670

Catalog number:

1978.0670.695

Maker number:

DL 5456

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Popular Entertainment

Family & Social Life

Sound Recordings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-a8da-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1216039

Recording artist:

Muggsy Spanier and his Orchestra  Search this

Artist:

Martin, David Stone  Search this

Manufacturer:

Disc  Search this

Physical Description:

paper (overall material)

ink (overall material)

shellac (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: New York, New York

Recording date:

1946

Related Publication:

Jazz Records 1942-1962, Vol. 7: S - Te

Credit Line:

Gift of Lucy C. Shain in memory of James Lewis Shain

ID Number:

1978.0670.934

Accession number:

1978.0670

Catalog number:

1978.0670.934

Maker number:

6031

711

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Popular Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Family & Social Life

Sound Recordings

Jazz

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746ab-1db2-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1250383

Recording artist:

New Orleans Rhythm Kings  Search this

Manufacturer:

Brunswick  Search this

Physical Description:

shellac (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: New York, New York

Recording date:

1934

Release date:

1949

Related Publication:

Rust, Brian. Jazz Records 1897-1942, Vol. 2

Credit Line:

Gift of Lucy C. Shain in memory of James Lewis Shain

ID Number:

1978.0670.065

Accession number:

1978.0670

Maker number:

80118

Catalog number:

1978.0670.065

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Popular Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Family & Social Life

Sound Recordings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-bb32-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_663270

Recording artist:

Firehouse Five Plus Two  Search this

Manufacturer:

Good Time Jazz  Search this

Physical Description:

shellac (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: California, Los Angeles

Recording date:

1949

Subject:

Music  Search this

Related Publication:

Jazz Records 1942-1967, Vol. 4a: Ell - Goo

Credit Line:

Gift of Lucy C. Shain in memory of James Lewis Shain

ID Number:

1978.0670.256

Maker number:

6

Accession number:

1978.0670

Catalog number:

1978.0670.256

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Popular Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Family & Social Life

Sound Recordings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-4c29-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_672841

Recording artist:

Pete Daily's Dixieland Band  Search this

Manufacturer:

Capitol  Search this

Physical Description:

paper (overall material)

ink (overall material)

shellac (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: California, Los Angeles, Hollywood

Recording date:

1949

Related Publication:

Jazz Records 1942-1965, Vol. 3: Co - El

Credit Line:

Gift of Lucy C. Shain in memory of James Lewis Shain

ID Number:

1978.0670.451

Maker number:

15432

CC-183

Accession number:

1978.0670

Catalog number:

1978.0670.451

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Popular Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Family & Social Life

Jazz

Sound Recordings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a4-e39f-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_676272

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_60a49e02b493eb0fd60dbe066fbae08a

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_65a1c6f12a982d59edc68d472e5e1824

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Mon, 1 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_7b21f20b738bf49520636c45506addb8

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Mon, 1 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_800eed394307a7235d15d332d608fbf1

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_9de310a8baf63dce46531d9f012f484a

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Mon, 1 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_cdfd07e1fd72cdec3d87e2fcd86dcccf

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Mon, 1 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_d266426b1bdd87fe78f712b10e23ac68

Creator:

Smithsonian Magazine  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Podcast

MIME Type:

audio/mpeg

Uploaded:

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:00:00 EST

Topic:

Inventions  Search this

Innovations  Search this

See more episodes:

Smithsonian magazine's Museum Day September 25th 2010

Data Source:

Smithsonian Magazine

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:podcasts_e96d4c177d8fdb7ed961188518b06d1a

Creator:

Park, Marlene, 1931-  Search this

Subject:

Palmer, William  Search this

Magafan, Ethel  Search this

Markowitz, Gerald E.  Search this

Reisman, Philip  Search this

Rothschild, Lincoln  Search this

Burchfield, Charles Ephraim  Search this

Refregier, Anton  Search this

Van Veen, Stuyvesant  Search this

Solman, Joseph  Search this

Sternberg, Harry  Search this

Walton, Marion  Search this

Alston, Charles Henry  Search this

Bolotowsky, Ilya  Search this

Barnet, Will  Search this

Brooks, James  Search this

Cadmus, Paul  Search this

Cronbach, Robt. (Robert M.)  Search this

Citron, Minna Wright  Search this

Gottlieb, Adolph  Search this

Gellert, Hugo  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

King, Roy E.  Search this

Katz, Leo  Search this

Lanning, Edward P.  Search this

Kotin, Albert  Search this

National Personnel Records Center (U.S.)  Search this

United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Transcripts

Photographs

Citation:

Marlene Park and Gerald E. Markowitz research materials on New Deal Art, 1931-1999. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Theme:

Research and writing about art  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)6277

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)216622

AAA_collcode_parkmarl

Theme:

Research and writing about art

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_216622

Interviewee:

Biddle, George, 1885-  Search this

Interviewer:

Phillips, Harlan B. (Harlan Buddington),, 1920-  Search this

Subject:

Bacon, Peggy  Search this

Benton, Thomas Hart  Search this

Billings, Henry  Search this

Bruce, Edward  Search this

Cahill, Holger  Search this

Demuth, Charles  Search this

Evergood, Philip  Search this

Grosz, George  Search this

Halpert, Edith Gregor  Search this

Hartley, Marsden  Search this

Marsh, Reginald  Search this

Miller, Kenneth Hayes  Search this

Orozco, José Clemente  Search this

Rivera, Diego  Search this

Robinson, Boardman  Search this

Siqueiros, David Alfaro  Search this

Sterne, Maurice  Search this

Stieglitz, Alfred  Search this

Tamayo, Rufino  Search this

Weber, Max  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Cassatt, Mary  Search this

Pascin, Jules  Search this

Poor, Henry Varnum  Search this

Curry, John Steuart  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Kroll, Leon  Search this

Zorach, William  Search this

Public Works of Art Project  Search this

New Deal and the Arts Oral History Project  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with George Biddle, 1963. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art -- Censorship  Search this

Federal aid to the arts  Search this

Painters -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Sculptors -- New York (State) -- Interviews  Search this

Theme:

New Deal  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)12696

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)213269

AAA_collcode_biddle63

Theme:

New Deal

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_213269

Interviewee:

Davis, Leroy, 1922-  Search this

Interviewer:

Berman, Avis, 1949-  Search this

Subject:

Langdale, Cecily  Search this

Shikler, Aaron  Search this

Barnes, Albert C. (Albert Coombs)  Search this

Bly, Boris  Search this

De Mazia, Violette  Search this

Davis, Terry Ritter  Search this

Bouché, Louis  Search this

Levine, David  Search this

Penn, Arthur  Search this

Hirschl & Adler Galleries  Search this

Tyler School of Art  Search this

Barnes Foundation  Search this

Type:

Sound recordings

Interviews

Citation:

Quotes and excerpts must be cited as follows: Oral history interview with Leroy Davis and Cecily Langdale, 2007 June 26-August 7. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

Topic:

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Art dealers -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Gallery owners -- New York (State) -- New York -- Interviews  Search this

Record number:

(DSI-AAA_CollID)13624

(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)271983

AAA_collcode_davis07

Data Source:

Archives of American Art

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:AAADCD_oh_271983

Recording artist:

CBS Trumpeteers  Search this

Arranger:

Johnson, Joseph  Search this

Manufacturer:

Nashboro  Search this

Physical Description:

shellac (overall material)

Measurements:

overall: 10 in; 25.4 cm

Object Name:

sound recording

Place made:

United States: Tennessee, Nashville-Davidson

Release date:

1959

ID Number:

1996.0153.08691

Catalog number:

1996.0153.08691

Label number:

641

Accession number:

1996.0153

See more items in:

Culture and the Arts: Entertainment

Popular Entertainment

Music & Musical Instruments

Religion

Sound Recordings

Data Source:

National Museum of American History

GUID:

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746aa-d895-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

EDAN-URL:

edanmdm:nmah_1233265

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.

Topic:

North American X-15  Search this

Air pilots  Search this

Aeronautics  Search this

Aeronautics -- Records  Search this

Genre/Form:

Photographs

Audiotapes

Correspondence

Manuscripts

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.

Identifier:

NASM.2006.0041

See more items in:

A. Scott Crossfield Papers

Archival Repository:

National Air and Space Museum Archives

GUID:

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg28d41031c-4569-4e2e-b114-8a32f81be51e

EDAN-URL:

ead_collection:sova-nasm-2006-0041