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Archives of American Aerospace Exploration: General Reference Materials

This guide includes information about materials in the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration collections at Virginia Tech. It also contains tools and resources for completing historical research.

About Additional Reference Materials

On this page, you will find additional reference materials, including publications in a foreign language, published handbooks and manuals, and histories and early works. This page also contains an A-Z list of our AAAE manuscript collections with descriptions of their contents.

Click on a book or collection title to learn more about it.

About Special Collections and University Archives

Books and Journals

Foreign Language Materials

Handbooks and Manuals

Histories, Biographies, and Pre-1900 Works

General Reference Materials

Manuscript Collections A-Z

  • William J. Alford, Jr., Papers, 1951-1988 (Ms1987-007)

    The collection contains NACA and NASA research memoranda and reports, publication drafts, research notes and patent details for the variable-sweep wing design, correspondence, award certificates, AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics) conference programs, and personnel file papers pertaining to William J. Alford's career as an aeronautical engineer. Also included are a Langley working paper, with associated variable-sweep research notes and patent details, and a detailed schematic drawing of "the variable sweep wing configuration tested in the high-speed 7- by 10- foot tunnel." These materials date from 1951 to 1988.

    Some related materials may appear in separate folders. For example, awards and correspondence are also included in the biographical and career information file. Additionally, some personnel file papers, especially many of those in the biographical and career information file, contain photocopies in the place of the original documents.

  • Aviation Brochures and Pamphlets Collection, 1910-1958 (Ms1994-015)

    This collection contains a variety of printed materials relating to the first half-century of aviation. The collection consists largely of promotional materials published and distributed by manufacturers of airplanes and airplane parts. Represented in the collection are such well-known companies as Boeing, Lockheed, and Cessna, but the collection also holds materials from a number of lesser-known and/or defunct businesses. The collection includes material dating to the first decade of aviation, including a 1911 White Aeroplane Company catalog; more heavily represented is the World War II era. Most of the materials are from companies based in the United States, but the collection also contains materials from European companies. In addition to the promotional materials are a few periodicals (including an issue of Contact, published by the Women's National Aeronautical Association) and a menu from a 1932 dinner honoring Amelia Earhart.

  • James J. Avitabile Papers, 1963-2001 (Ms2001-057)

    This collection contains materials related to the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space exploration programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Containing mostly technical data on spacecraft systems design and operation, the collection provides a detailed look at NASA systems engineering during the early to mid 1960s. The collection is divided among the following series: NASA Programs, NASA Computer Systems, NASA Public Information, and General Materials.

    The NASA Programs series contains in-house technical publications detailing spacecraft systems design and procedures and is divided among three subseries. The Project Mercury subseries contains one technical report and an historical overview of the program. Much more extensive is the Project Gemini subseries, which includes such items as operations handbooks, systems diagrams, briefing outlines, reports and mission simulator manuals. The Project Apollo series also contains such materials, in addition to spacecraft manuals, study guides and charts. Together, these subseries chronicle the development and evolution of spacecraft systems design and procedures which culminated in the first lunar landing.

    The NASA Computer Systems series includes programmer manuals for the various computer systems used by NASA during the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. The majority of the materials in this series concern the DDP general computer system.

    Unlike the Programs and Computer Systems series, the NASA Public Information series consists of materials which were produced for public education. The series contains NASA Fact Sheets and NASA Educational Briefs, other general public information booklets, a symposium report and a set of astronaut photo portraits, all produced to familiarize the public with NASA's activities, personnel and facilities.

    The General Materials series contains materials related to space exploration but not produced by NASA. The series includes magazine articles and a "Sounds of Space" recording.

  • John V. Becker Papers, 1936-1980 (Ms1990-052)

    Papers include correspondence, notes, memoranda and other materials related to NACA and NASA programs with which Becker was associated, including the X-1, X-15, X-20 (or Dyna-Soar) programs; research files for The High-Speed Frontier; transcripts of oral history interviews; and copies of publications and lectures by Becker, created between 1936 and 1980.

  • B. P. Blasingame Papers, ca. 1962-1978 (Ms1987-010)

    The B. P. Blasingame Papers contains several books, reports, and papers about navigation, inertia, and space flight. Although the majority of the materials are undated, they are likely from the 1960s and 1970s. Series I: Books and Record Albums includes three books related to the Skylab I-IV space projects, five books related to the Apollo 12, 14, 16, 17, and Apollo-Soyuz missions, and one guide to orbital flight, as well as two copies of the CBS production "Man on the Moon," narrated by Walter Cronkite. Series II: Papers and Reports consists of four official reports by Charles Stark Draper, of Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc., regarding inertial guidance and navigation. There is also a report on the optical tracking of the Apollo 12 spacecraft, published by the Manned Spacecraft Center, and an unpublished report on inertial systems by Dr. Blasingame in this series.

  • J. A. Burke, Jr. Collection, 1936-1938, 1942-1947 (Ms1983-005)

    This collection contains materials dated from 1936-1938 and 1942-1947 relating to Jerry Allen Burke, Jr. Materials include photographs, technical drawings, reports, notes, and other papers pertaining to Burke's time as an engineering undergraduate student at Virginia Tech as well as his work for the U.S. Navy during WWII and other private business ventures.

  • Robert Burton Collection, 1965-1973 (Ms2023-054)

    The Robert Burton Collection of Apollo Mission Reports contains twelve reports relating to NASA's Apollo programs that were published between 1965 and 1973. This collection contains mission reports for Apollo 12, 13, 14, 15, and 17. This collection also contains several other reports that were published by the Apollo Program.

  • Edward H. Cahill Papers, 1909-1976 (Ms1988-002)

    The collection contains a copy of a map of part of the VPI campus drawn by Cahill in 1909, materials from his professional life, and a memorial address in which he is cited, "The Brock Brothers and the Brock Process," by Harry Tubis. There is a photograph of Cahill standing in front of the camera he invented and patented and a speech he gave in 1939 on "The Colorado River Aqueduct and California District It Serves." It also includes three obituaries.

  • George William Christopher Papers, 1961-1991 (Ms1991-031)

    This collection contains the papers of George William Christopher, a pilot who worked as a flight instructor and barnstormer in the Texas panhandle region in the 1930s, then served with the U. S. Air Force during World War II and the post-war period. The collection includes a copy of Christopher's autobiographical memoir Pioneer Pilot from the Texas Panhandle: Stories from a Flier's Life. The collection also contains an outline for an article proposed by Christopher for American Aviation Historical Society Journal, to be titled "Flying in the Thirties in Texas," and a newspaper clipping about Christopher receiving the Air Force Commendation Medal.

  • Evert B. Clark Papers, 1949-1988 (Ms1989-022)

    This collection includes the papers of aviation, science, and space journalist Evert B. Clark, including correspondence, memoranda, research notes; and drafts and published copies of articles.

  • Michael Collins Papers, 1907-2004 (Ms1989-029)

    The Michael Collins Papers document the life and career of Collins, pilot, astronaut, assistant secretary of state, director of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), and author. The collection comprises correspondence, notes, printed material, photographs, and audio recordings from Collins' Air Force career, training at the U. S. Test Pilot School and Experimental Flight Center, participation in NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs, and tenure at the State Department and NASM. The collection also includes materials associated with Collins' books Carrying the Fire, Flying to the Moon and Other Strange Places, and Liftoff!, as well as various articles and book reviews written by him. Collins' many public appearances are represented here with background materials, speech notes, texts, printed material, and photographs. The collection also contains a number of files, largely composed of correspondence, devoted to Collins' involvement with various boards and clubs. In addition, there are small sets of personal correspondence, biographical materials, and an assortment of honors and memorabilia.

  • Mike Cooper ABC Collection, 1965-1971 (Ms2024-075)

    This collection contains materials from an ABC News employee (most likely a technician) named Mike Cooper in the late 1960s. Subjects include the 1969 Apollo launch and the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France.

  • Blake W. Corson, Jr. Papers, 1861-1984 (Ms1990-055)

    The Blake W. Corson Jr., Papers are comprised of professional and personal files, correspondence, and published materials from 1861-1984 (bulk, 1934-1979), primarily relating to his career as an engineer at NASA Langley. Topics include aerodynamic performance of aircraft propellers and manned aircraft; wind tunnel fans, jet noise suppression, and tunnel calibration. This collection is organized into five series by material type.

  • James Dean Collection, 1961-1988 (Ms2003-061)

    The collection consists of reference material NASA artist James Dean used in producing the artwork for Michael Collins' book Liftoff: The Story of America's Adventure in Space. The bulk of the contents include NASA file photos, files from the twelve Gemini missions, the majority of Apollo missions (mostly XI), the Spacelab project, the Hubble telescope, space shuttle missions, the Challenger accident, and many other NASA related subjects. Also included are photos from the Project Mercury missions, images of NASA aircraft, NASA promotional material, and photos of U.S. officials and NASA personnel. An original rough draft copy of Liftoff, divided by chapter, is included.

  • John E. Duberg Papers, 1927-1980 (Ms1990-056)

    The John E. Duberg Papers span from 1927 to 1980 and include a wide variety of materials reflecting Duberg's career as a research scientist and National Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) administrator. The bulk of this collection consists of publications and reports. These include reports by Duberg himself and his colleagues, publications by others in the field, and government organizations. The papers also include copies of Duberg's M.S. and Ph.D. theses; drafts of speeches; correspondence; and materials from conferences and workshops attended.

  • G. Grahame Duce Papers, 1920-1947 (Ms1987-005)

    This collection contains the papers of G. Grahame Duce, President of Duce Aeronautical Research in Baltimore, Maryland. Included within the collection are various airplane notes and characteristics from 1920 to 1939, an approved aircraft index from 1947, and manuscript drafts of articles, some from 1947, discussing new paratroop devices, the fastest long-ranger, the Martin XB-48, the building of XB-48, airlines in the red, pilot judgment, air races, the Boeing XB-47, the jet pilot, and the future of jet planes.

  • Robert R. Gilruth Papers, 1936-1989 (Ms1990-053)

    The collection consists of Robert R. Gilruth's papers, notes, records, articles, photographs, awards, degrees, certificates, and artifacts. A majority of the collection contains professional papers from Gilruth's work in NACA and NASA, including speeches and presentations, reports, photographs, oral history transcripts, notes, and newpapers clippings, as well as certificates, awards, and artifacts. Personal materials include a typescript diary, Gilruth's 1936 M.S. Thesis, and an unpublished memoir. A small collection of books has been removed and cataloged for the Rare Book Collection at Special Collections.

  • Melvin N. Gough Papers, 1919-1971 (Ms1987-057)

    The Melvin N. Gough collection spans from 1919 to 1971 and includes a wide variety of materials reflecting Gough's career as a test pilot, NACA administrator, and flight safety investigator. It is especially rich in materials from his years at Langley and equally rich on the topics of aviation safety and accident investigation procedures.

    The papers are organized largely according to Gough's own filing system, and there is some degree of overlap in the contents of folders. Many of the folders include manuscript materials and other items such as magazine articles and newspaper clippings. The NACA reports and other documents that are individually listed include manuscript annotations, correspondence, or other items that make them unique. Documents published before 1930 are also listed individually, whether they have manuscript items associated with them or not. Other NACA reports and miscellaneous publications are arranged chronologically. NACA reports are usually grouped by year; other publications are grouped by decade.

  • Samuel Herrick Papers, 1930-1974 (Ms1978-002)

    The papers consist of correspondence, notes, drafts of publications, files relating to students and courses, and reprints of the works of others in astronomy and space sciences. Other highlights include Herrick's consulting files for NASA's Project Mercury, the film "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951), and private industry.

  • Paul R. Hill Collection, 1936-1996 (Ms2010-068)

    The Paul R. Hill Collection contains material relating to the NACA/NASA/Langely career of Paul R. Hill from 1939-1970. Materials include books, papers, newspapers, lantern slides, NASA publications and memos, overhead sheets, and notes from presentations and talks.

    Many photographs portray Hill's design for a personal flight device. Other drawings reflect planetary orbits or space station models. Presentation notes accompany a few slide folders.

    The collection also consists of various publications and papers written by Hill and other authors. Many of these publications are declassified official NASA reports, and others are NASA publications from award ceremonies and department memorandums. Wherever possible, bibliographies at the folder-level are included in the "Contents List" below. Other publications include drafts of papers reviewed by Hill. A number of books were removed from the collection to be catalogued.

    Also included in this collection are personal papers of Paul R. Hill. Some of these items include his 1936 voter registration, work evaluations, and correspondence regarding his personal projects. Newspaper and magazine clippings kept by Hill are also included in the collection.

  • Henry J. Kelley Papers, 1948-1988 (Ms1988-021)

    The Henry J. Kelley Papers include correspondence, notes, drafts and offprints of publications and research reports. Henry Kelley's original folder titles were used when the collection was re-housed and inventoried in 2012. The majority of the collection consists topic based subject/research files, files on individuals (correspondence, resumes, and papers), teaching/course materials, and conference/professional organizational files. There are drafts and final copies of papers by Kelley and others on a range of aerospace and other engineering topics.

    The collection also includes slides and transparencies, most of which depict equations, charts, graphs, and occasional text. For the most part, these visual materials are unidentified.

  • Cristopher C. Kraft Papers, 1941-1988 (Ms1985-001)

    The collection consists of approximately 28 cu. ft. of manuscripts, particularly NACA and NASA reports and documents, meeting notes and agendas, and research materials. A later donation contains the manuscript for Kraft's autobiography.

    From Kraft's early years at Langley Flight Research Division, the collection includes notes, calculations, and drawings for many projects (testing the stability and control of the X-1, P-47 Thunderbolt, and P-51 H Mustang airplanes, for example). It also includes calculations and draft reports on the gust-alleviation system designed by Kraft and then-division head, William Hewitt Phillips.

    The collection contains heavily-annotated editions of "Mission Rules" for Project Mercury, extensive files of post-launch reports and astronaut debriefing transcripts from Kraft's early NASA years (1958-1970), as well as correspondence, notes, and memoranda. Materials from Kraft's later years at NASA (1970-1982) include professional notes, detailing meetings and telephone conversations, plus meeting agendas, memos, and other work documents.

  • Alfred W. Lawson Collection, 1913, 1948 (Ms2023-053)

    This collection contains materials relating to Alfred W. Lawson, a professional baseball player and aviator. Documents relate to the Lawson C-2 Airliner. This collection also contains a copy of the Benefactor Newspaper from 1948 and a copy of Aircraft magazine from 1913. An undated copy from "Who's Who In American Aeronautics" provides some biographical information about Lawson. There is also an oversize copy of sheet music for the song The Airline March.

  • F. Edward McLean Papers, 1950-1985 (Ms1990-054)

    This collection consists of NASA papers related to Francis Edward McLean's work in aerospace engineering. McLean's work at NASA specialized in supersonic aerodynamic design and analysis, and high-speed management. The papers consist of writings by McLean, NASA and NACA-related news clippings , correspondence and inter-office NASA memos, patents, technical reports, presentation materials, photographs, awards, and citations.

  • NASA Project Tapes, 1963-1966 (Ms2001-020)

    This collection comprises 16 reel to reel audiotapes of various NASA projects and news conferences from the Kennedy Space Center from 1963 through 1966. The tapes pertain to Project Mercury and Project Gemini (3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 11). Some tapes include audio of launching and landing from the projects. The crew members included from Project Mercury are John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Walter M. Shirra, and L. Gordon Cooper, and the crew members from Project Gemini are Gus Grissom, James A. McDivitt, Edward H. White II, Eugene A. Cernan, Thomas P. Stafford, Pete Conrad, Gordon Cooper, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and John Young.

  • C. Wayne Ottinger Papers, 1992 (Ms1992-038)

    This collection contains a draft of the proposal, "Concept Proposal for Preservation of Aerospace Technology Project (PAT) [Improving Technology Preservation Processes]" written by Ottinger and others. Also includes an executive summary, cover letter, and slides of proposal presentation. The proposal suggests the need for documenting aerospace history. Primary goals of the project include providing "a lead role in improving and developing processes to identify, prioritize, acquire, preserve, and communicate information and artifacts that constitute Endangered Information in aerospace technology" and creating "a consensus for the establishment of an aerospace history discipline center."

  • Thornton L. Page Papers, 1936-1983 (Ms1983-002)

    This collection contains the papers of astronomer Thornton Page. Included in a biographical file is an autobiographical sketch; a memoir from a 1983 Rhodes Scholar Reunion in Oxford, England; a letter to The New Yorker; and a photograph of Page. The greater part of the collection is comprised of published versions (in the form of offprints and detachments) of various articles authored or co-authored by Page, relating to astronomy and general science topics, particularly education in the sciences. The collection also contains typescript drafts of several articles by Page and the texts of a few of his speeches.

  • Otis Jerome Parker Papers, 1963-1975 (Ms1987-065)

    This collection contains the papers of Otis Jerome Parker, an aerospace engineer employed at NASA's Langley Research Center during the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab projects. The collection consists largely of a few NASA publications regarding the design and development of "jet shoes" and other devices intended to provide propulsion and maneuverability during extravehicular activity (EVA) in spaceflight. The collection also includes Langley inter-office communications regarding Parker and the projects on which he worked, as well as a small set of photographs of Parker and EVA propulsion devices. With the exception of one photograph, this collection consists of photocopied materials.

  • W. Dale Parker Papers, 1914-2006 (Ms1989-093)

    This collection contains the papers of William Dale Parker (1925-2007), management specialist on NASA's Project Gemini from 1964 to 1969; engineer with General Motors and General Dynamics; writer; businessman; and self-described political advisor, expert on human relations, and genius. The collection includes such materials as correspondence, memorabilia, printed materials, photographs, and scrapbooks.

    Contained within the collection is very little about Parker's work on Gemini, the focus instead being largely on documenting Parker's personal life and his other interests: writing and lecturing, volunteer/humanitarian activities, politics, and business. Parker was meticulous about collecting the minutiae relating to all his personal life and chronicling all of his activities in photographs, memoirs, and scrapbooks.

    The collection also includes a series of materials relating to the life and career of his youngest daugher, Jacquelyn S. "Jackie" Parker, holder of a number of firsts for women in aviation, including the first female graduate of the U. S. Air Force Test Pilot School. Also included is a series of correspondence from Parker's pen pals residing in former Soviet states soon after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

  • William Hewitt Phillips Papers, 1918-2008 (Ms2005-019)

    This collection contains the papers of William Hewitt Phillips, an aerospace engineer for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and National Air and Space Administration (NASA) at Langley Research Center and chief of the Flight Dynamics and Control Division from 1970 to 1979. The collection includes lecture notes, reports and memoranda tracing the development of Phillips' theories while at Langley and spans from his work on World War II-era aircraft to the early U.S. space program and beyond, as well as his longstanding and active interest in model aircraft design and testing. These papers include calculations of various numerical values in relation to various aircraft and spacecraft, as well as drawings and other illustrations. The collection also contains a set of Phillips' official reports, files devoted to lectures delivered by Phillips, and notes from courses and lectures presented by others. Major topics in this collection include aircraft stability and control; gust alleviation; wing theories; types of planes; shuttles; airfoils; gliders; simulation of space operations (particularly the Lunar Landing Research Facility), and model aircraft. An item of note is a typescript draft of Phillips' autobiography, "Journey into Aeronautical Research: a Career at NASA Langley Research Center."

  • Edward C. Polhamus Papers, 1962-1986 (Ms1990-051)

    The collection papers include reprints of articles and reports by Polhamus, correspondence, notebooks, and photographs relating to his patents on variable wing sweeps, F-111 aircraft and cryogenic wind tunnel development and vortex lift aerodynamics, Congressional testimony on the TFX contract investigation, and materials relating to his Wright Brothers lectureship.

  • Reed Precision Identifiers for Airplanes, ca. 1941-1945 (Ms2024-058)

    This collection consists of three volvelles used to identify American, German, British, Italian, and Japanese aircraft. Manufactured by the Electric Corporation of America, the volvelles contain information for identification such as silhouettes, names, wing spans, maximum speeds and ranges, service functions, and number of engines and crew members. Images include side, plan, and front views, as well as decals.

  • James Robbins Randolph Papers, 1922-1969 (Ms1971-001)

    This collection contains the papers of engineer and physicist James Robbins Randolph and includes such materials as notes, calculations, writings (published and unpublished) and correspondence.

    Reflected in the papers are Randolph's research interests in the use of rockets in warfare and space travel. The collection includes several notebooks of calculations and notes on rocket design, planetary atmospheres, and comets. One of Randolph's particular interests during World War II was the subject of mental mobility, the ability to effectively adapt to rapid and extreme changes. Randolph actively researched and promoted mental mobility as a means to combat Germany's blitzkrieg war strategy. The collection contains Randolph's research file on the subject, including correspondence and reports, as well as his published writings appearing in Field Artillery Journal and Cavalry Journal.

    Also included in the collection is a typescript draft of Randolph's unpublished 1920s science fiction novel, "The Neighbor World," including an introduction by Robert H. Goddard. (Randolph referred to his novel, written in the 1920s, as the first serious attempt by a science fiction writer to describe in detail the construction of a rocket that would actually fly to Mars and back.) Accompanying the typescript are summaries, appendices and illustrations for the book, as well as the first section of an unpublished sequel.

    The collection also holds Randolph's writings on a number of disparate subjects, including book-length manuscripts on blitzkrieg and retirement planning. Several files contain collections of Randolph's essays, many focusing on the logistics of space travel. Elsewhere, in several pieces, Randolph speculates that medieval legends of fairies may have been based on visitors from Mars. Much of Randolph's writing promotes capitalism over communism and is particularly anti-Soviet. Other essay topics include opinions on current events and relations between the sexes.

    Completing the collection is a folder of general materials, including a studio portrait of Randolph, some memoranda from Fairleigh Dickinson College, an American Ordnance Association membership certificate, and several pieces of correspondence exchanged between Randolph and T. Marshall Hahn and James B. Eades of Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1963.

  • Donald K. "Deke" Slayton Collection, 1974-1979, 1995 (Ms2023-058)

    This collection contains materials belonging to American astronaut, Donald K. "Deke" Slayton. This collection contains materials about the Apollo-Soyuz Program, programs and invitations to events, photographs, a map of Moscow, and newspaper clippings. Slayton was an astronaut on the Apollo-Soyuz Program, resulting in a joint docking and experiments with Soviet cosmonauts.

  • Hartley A. Soule Papers, 1945-1972, n.d. (Ms1987-004)

    The Hartley A. Soule Papers include notes, memoranda, calculations, and drawings on the High-Speed Flight Research Station (1950-1954); Research Airplane Program (1953-1957); X-15 program (1958-1962); Dyna Soar program (1957-1962); Projects Mercury and Gemini (1961-1962); and history of the high-speed aircraft program (1963-67).

  • Robert Eldred Taylor Papers, 1942-1948 (Ms1994-033)

    This collection consists of the selective service records of Robert Eldred Taylor of Larned, Kansas, during World War II. This includes materials such as Taylor's Aviation Cadet Training Rejection, an honorable discharge certificate, and a later letter explaining that he may be eligible for army duty. Other materials include a flight chart of Central America and a certificate of recognition for completion of the Gulf Sea Frontier Transport Pilot Course.

  • Earl A. Thornton Collection, 1885-2000 (Ms2010-026)

    The Earl A. Thornton collection contains research files, personal notes, audio recordings, videocassettes, photographs, and publications on the fields of aviation, aeronautics, and aerospace. The research files include files on individuals and subject files, as well as publications.

  • John W. Townsend, Jr., Papers, 1949-1990 (Ms1990-068)

    This collection contains six boxes of John W. Townsend, Jr.'s personal and professional papers from 1949 until his retirement from corporate and government aerospace work in 1990. In addition to professional correspondence, memos, and subject files, there are extensive travel files from 1949-1968 and 1985-1990, congressional testimony on NASA projects from 1982-1986, and files on the history of the Upper Air Rocket Research Program at the Naval Research Laboratory from about 1956-1958. Throughout his career, Townsend also served on a number of councils, boards, and panels. The collection also includes files from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Advisory Panel (1966-1968, the International Academy of Astronautics (c. 1981-1987), the NASA Advisory Council (1982-1987), the National Academy of Engineering (1982-1987), the National Research Council Space Applications Board (1983-1987), and the Office of Technology Assessment Advisory Board Panel on International Cooperation and Competition in Civilian Space Activities (1982-1985).

  • Marjorie Rhodes Townsend Papers, 1960-1994 (Ms1986-003)

    Marjorie Rhodes Townsend was the first woman to earn an engineering degree at The George Washington University, receiving her Bachelor of Electrical Engineering in 1951. After eight years at the Naval Research Laboratory, she moved to National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center in 1959, where she worked until 1980. Townsend was project manager for three Small Astronomy Satellites (SAS, 1966-75) and for Applications Explorer Missions (1975-76), and later had responsibility for all advanced mission planning for future scientific and applications satellites as well as NOAA's meteorological satellites. Townsend's papers focus on her professional career in aerospace engineering at NASA and include some of her later consulting work, mainly consisting of correspondence, meeting notes, project documents, and publications that Townsend wrote or that relate to her work. There are also materials about her numerous speaking engagements and articles about Townsend's professional accomplishments.

  • U.S. Army Air Corps Photographs, 1928 (Ms2015-058)

    The collection includes 7 photographs showing U.S. Army Air Corps bombers and group bombing exercises. The photographs were taken during inspection and training exercises based out of Langely Field, near Hampton, Virginia, during March and April 1928.