RUTH ALEXANDER MS-009
Ruth Alexander
The Ruth Alexander Collection was accessioned into IWASM in December 1991. Juanita Andrews, whose stepfather was married to Ruth Alexander at the time of her death, donated the material. The papers in the collection date from 1929 to 1930 and are organized into the following series:
1. Business Records
2. Creative Writings
3. Autobiographical Writings
4. Odds and Ends
MARION CODDINGTON BROMLEY MS- 002
Marion Coddington Bromley
The Marion Coddington Bromley Collection was accessioned into IWASM on July 28, 1994. The material was donated by Marion Bromley and is dated from 1931 to 1985. The material fills one Hollinger box and is organized as follows:
1. Pilot Log Books
2. Small Page Scrapbook
3. Large Page Scrapbook
4. Miscellaneous
MYRTLE K. THOMPSON CAGLE MS-011
Myrtle K. Thompson Cagle
The Myrtle K Thompson Collection was accessioned into the International Women’s Air and Space Museum in May 2007. The memorabilia was brought to the International Women’s Air and Space Museum in March 2006 and a certificate of gift signed May 2006 by Myrtle K Thompson Cagle and her daughter, Joy Cagle Harper.
The material in the collection is dated from 1940 to 2003. This material documents her flying experiences from age 12, her involvement with the Mercury 13 testing, and her life after the Mercury 13 testing was disbanded. The materials include wedding gown made by Myrtle Cagle and other clothing items belonging to Myrtle Cagle, Myrtle Cagle’s original scrapbook, 6 Hollinger boxes, 1 complete and 1 partial slide case, 1 CD of photographs, 1 CD of Oral History, 1 DVD of Video Footage, and 1 VHS copy of Myrtles Cagle’s Graduation from GWS. The material is organized into 8 series:
1. Mercury 13 Files
2. Biography
3. Mercury/Flats Files
4. Scrapbook Copy (211 pages)
5. Europe Slides
6. Scrapbook
7. Articles
8. Video Footage
Myrtle Cagle’s wedding dress made from parachutes and other clothing items are located in C box 28.
THE MERCURY 13 MS-012
Mercury 13
The Mercury 13 Collection is based on several ladies collections and relates to their participation in the Mercury testing program.
The material fills 6 Hollinger boxes and 5 folders.
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
No contact information will be given out without the permission of the woman.
RUTH NICHOLS MS-001
Ruth Nichols
The Ruth Nichols Collection was accessioned into IWASM in May,1979. The material was donated by The New England Section Connecticut Chapter of The Ninety-Nines, Inc. The 99s which is an international organization of licensed women pilots was founded in 1929 by Ruth Nichols and Amelia Earhart. Ruth was a member of the New York and New Jersey Section. She was born in New York City in 1901 and lived in Rye, New York from 1915 unti1 her death in 1960. Ruth Nichol s was one of the many early flyers who dedicated their uves to aviation.
The papers in the collection date from 1859 (a handwritten letter to an "Amanda" from a "May") to 1970 (a posthumous tribute booklet prepared by the 99s Connecticut chapter). The material fills nine file drawers and eleven Hollinger boxes and is organized into the following series and subseries:
1. Flights -competition and records
2. Business -employment and independent ventures
3. Relief Wings -humanitarian aid organization
4. Aviation -airplanes, equipment, airports
5. Groups -memberships and organizations
6. Authorship -speaking and writing
7. Biography -agents, publicity, biographies , 8. Peace -activities and affiliations
9. Correspondence
9A. Business
9B. General
9C. Named
9D. Personal
10. Fami1y -personal papers, correspondence
11. Other -miscellaneous items
12. Press -news clippings
13. Albums -scrapbooks, photo collections
14. Maps -aerial and road maps, charts
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
BARBARA SOUTHGATE PARKER MS-004
Barbara Southgate Parker
The Barbara Southgate Parker Collection was accessioned into the International Women's Air & Space Museum in December 1991. The box of memorabilia is from the estate of Mrs. Parker and was donated by her step-niece and co-executor, Myra Bowers. Included was a note to IWASM indicating that "it was her [Mrs. Parker's] wish that these be forwarded to you."
The material in the collection is dated from 1928 to 1948. This material documents her flying experiences in the 1930s and is highlighted by her record dawn-to-dusk flight on December 8, 1934. The papers fill one Hollinger box and eight file folders. They are organized into two series:
1. Scrapbooks Albums
2. Other Papers
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
The New England Air Museum holds a collection of photographs from the estate of Barbara S. Parker. In this collection are over 550 prints and negatives. Most were taken locally in New England and New York.
TRACY PILURS MS-008
Tracy Pilurs
The Tracy Pilurs Collection was accessioned into IWASM in November and December 1999. The material was donated by Tracy and delivered by three of her children, Tom and Jim Pilurs and Alexis Boilini-Levy. The papers in the collection date from 1942 (Tracy’s first pilot log book) to 1998 (IWASM newsletter article about restoration of the Smith Miniplane donated by Tracy to IWASM in 1996). The material is organized into the following nine series and fills one archival carton (Series 1-8) and one Hollinger box (Series 9):
Series 1 Private Pilot - competition and records
Series 2 Ground School - instructor materials
Series 3 Author - magazines articles, fiction, technical
Series 4 Media Coverage - publicity articles and ads
Series 5 Correspondence - letters and cards received
Series 6 Photographs & Slides - taken by and of Tracy Pilurs
Series 7 Smith Miniplane - airplane logs and certificates
Series 8 Books & Pamphlets - pilot logs and related booklets
Series 9 Magazines - magazines saved by Tracy Pilurs
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
LUELLA DANIELS SAWTELLE MS-007
Luella Daniels Sawtelle
The Luella Daniels Sawtelle Collection was processed and accessioned in May, 1999. The collection is housed in 2 boxes (one is oversized) and fills 38 folders divided into 19 series arranged primarily chronologically and by type of material. The donor of the collection, Rick Luse, is the nephew of Luella Daniels Sawtelle and brought the collection to IWASM in early 1999, shortly after his aunt’s death.
Most of the material in the collection dates from 1929 through the 1930s when Luella served as a secretary and office manager for Clifford and Phillip Henderson, organizers of the National Air Races during that period. The collection is a fascinating assortment of mementos and memorabilia, with a few official business documents from the Hendersons’ organizations. Luella collected everything from signatures of aviators to National Air Race bumper stickers to post-event banquet programs; there is also a large collection of photographs, primarily from the 1930 Chicago Air Race. Other items of interest include news clippings from the 1936 Air Races in Los Angeles, and various press releases and handbills printed on official stationery.
Artifacts that were accessioned with the papers include pins and badges from the National Air Races, several Thompson Trophy Race calendars from the late 1930s through the 1947, an original Charles Hubbell painting of a Gee Bee 4, and an autographed 1936 letter to Clifford Henderson from Amelia Earhart. The latter two artifacts are on extended loan from the donor. See accession numbers 1999.21.1B through 1999.21.94.
Taken as a whole, the Luella Daniels Sawtelle collection provides detailed documentation of some aspects of the publicity and organizational machinery behind the National Air Races and some of the related events produced by the Hendersons.
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
MARY VON MACH MS-013
Mary Von Mach
The Mary E. Von Mach Collection was accessioned into IWASM in May 1975. The papers and objects were donated by Mary Von Mach to the Museum Trust of the Ninety-Nines which formed the beginning of the International Women’s Air & Space Museum. The collection is listed on the original Museum Trust inventory list as “1 plaid suit case of Mary Van Mock [sic] items”. A 1975 written inventory list is in the accessions file drawer under “Von Mach”.
The papers in the collection date from 1928 to 1935 and are organized into the following series:
1. Biography
2. 1929 Women’s Air Derby
3. Organizations
4. Newspaper articles and Clippings
5. Photographs
In addition to the archival material, there is a list of accessioned items at the end of the Finding Aid.
The material fills one Hollinger box and there are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
ALMA SALMON WERFELMAN MS-003
Alma Salmon Werfelman
The Alma Salmon Werfelman Collection was accessioned into IWASM on July 22, 1994. The material was donated by Lillian Salmon Ochiltree in memory of her sister. The material from the years 1929-1930 fills one small Hollinger box and is organized as follows:
Photographs
Department of Commerce Material
Pamphlets
Magazines
Newspaper Articles
Mrs. Ochiltree requested that items from the collection be displayed with a plaque that reads:
ALMA SALMON WERFELMAN, PRESIDENT,
CINCINNATI GIRLS GLIDER CLUB, 1929
There are no other conditions or restrictions on the use of these materials.
CAROLYN JEAN WEST MS-005
Carolyn Jean West
The Carolyn Jean West Collection was accessioned into the International Women's Air & Space Museum in June 1996. One box of memorabilia from Mrs. West was donated by her daughter, Jacquelyn West Hillier, and delivered by her daughter-in-law, Margaret (Mrs. Gordon) E. West on May 15, 1996.
Most of the material in the collection is dated from 1930 to 1948. This material documents Mrs. West's flying experiences and aviation activities primarily in the early 1930s and the late 1940s. Her most notable piloting achievement was winning the All-Woman Air Race on March 11-13, 1947. The papers fill one Hollinger box and six file folders. They are organized into three series:
1. Scrapbooks Albums
2. Other Papers
3. Original Album Pages
There are no restrictions on the use of these materials.
In addition to these papers the Museum received the trophy awarded to Mrs. West for winning the 1947 All-Woman Air Race, a leather flying cap, and a framed AWTAR Award of Merit.
EDNA GARDNER WHYTE MS-006
Edna Gardner Whyte
The Edna Gardner Whyte Collection was accessioned August 8, 1992. The collection fills 31 folders in 2 Hollinger boxes; it comes from two sources that were inadvertently comingled in the early stages of processing. Some of the material comes from the estate of Edna Gardner Whyte, and the rest was donated by her biographer, Ann Cooper. It is unclear how much of what was found in Ann Cooper’s files was given to her by Edna Gardner Whyte herself, however, both sets of papers included similar items, such as original and photocopies of newspaper clippings, photocopies of some of Whyte’s business papers, original photographs, and programs and score sheets from air derbies. The bulk of the material, which dates from the early 1930s through Whyte’s death in February of 1992, consists of photocopies of press clippings about Ms. Whyte.
For more materials relating to Edna Gardner Whyte, see the IWASM artifacts collection, accessions numbers 1992.25.1-1992.25.32B, 1992.25.33. See also the Ruth Nichols and Virginia Thomas Collections, and Rising Above It, E.G. Whyte’s autobiography, co-written with Ann Cooper, in the IWASM library. Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas has a collection of clippings and magazine articles related to E.G. Whyte, and, as of March 1999 was processing a much larger, more comprehensive collection of E.G. Whyte materials.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material