This collection consists of the papers of Althea “Gerry” Lister from 1935 to 1997. It contains: biographical information pertaining to Lister’s 45 year career at Pan American World Airways; “Along Air Avenues,” an unpublished manuscript that provides a detailed account of Pan Am’s maintenance and safety operations; a list of survey and inaugural flights created by Lister; a list of McCoy print purchasers and prices created by Lister; and a chronology of Pan Am’s aircraft fleet created by Lister. The papers include certificates, correspondence, photographs, and press clippings.
The Aviation ephemera collection contains posters, reports, postcards, brochures, programs, pamphlets, and other ephemera from all parts of the globe relating to the subject of aviation and its vast history.
This collection consists of the personal papers of Captain Basil Rowe. Rowe flew for the airline West Indian Aerial Express (WIAX) before being hired by Pan American World Airways, Inc. His papers include: correspondence, news clippings, short stories, reocords of nomination into the aiviaton hall of fame, operations bulletins, photographs, a cockpit checklist, an examination on keeping fit for flying, maintenance bulletins, Martin M-130 information, instructions for the use of the Boeing 247-D Circular Balance Computer, and memoranda concerning emergency landings.
Clipper Pioneers is an organization of former Pan Am pilots and flight crew. This collection includes Pan Am records such as memoranda, flight manuals, and accident reports as well as clippings, log books, pilot files, scrapbooks and photographs.
This collection contains Pan Am materials generously donated by former Pan American World Airways stewardess, Daniele Desmoulins Perez-Venero, who worked for the company in the 1960s. She arrived at the United States in 1964 where she worked as a secretary for Cultural Department of the French embassy before applying to work for Pan Am. Her charisma and knowledge of multiple languages lead to her being hired on the spot, which was against company procedures at the time, and she was granted her first choice in flying the New York-Paris-Monrovia route as her training flight. She later received a permanent placement in San Francisco, flying on a Boeing 707 on the San Francisco to Guatemala and Panama routes. As her career progressed, she was granted the opportunity to fly all over the world, including exotic locations such as Japan, Thailand, Guam, England, Australia, and Tahiti. Her career ended with a brief position as a purser before she got married and quit her job as a stewardess. Materials in the collection include ephemera, clippings, photographs, and clothing collected during her time of employment.
Donald W. Thomson worked for Pan American World Airways from 1932 to 1976 when he retired as the company's treasurer. His papers include corporate records, memoranda, reports, memorabilia and photographs. Bound volumes of annual reports and books were separated from the collection for cataloging.
The Dorothy Brannen Thomas Collection contains a scrapbook collecting letters, photographs, clippings, and other documents pertaining to cadets from the Royal Air Force who trained at the Pan American Training Academy at the University of Miami prior to World War II. Also included are letters from some of the cadets stationed there.
The Dorothy E. Mills Flight Attendant papers contains materials related to her tenure as a stewardess of the Latin American Division and later chief stewardess of the Atlantic Division for the Pan American World Airways in the 1940s. Held in the collection are the following items:
Four letters by Mills to William Brown, Head of Special Collections in 1997, discussing the materials donated to the collection and her history with the Pan American World Airways.
An acceptance letter, an award letter (written and signed by founder Juan Trippe), and a resignation letter from Pan American World Airways.
23 8" x 10" photographs of Pan American World Airways flight attendants, with accompanying descriptions.
A scrapbook of clippings, photographs, and other materials by Mills about her life as a Pan American World Airways flight attendant
Two issues (including two duplicates) of Clipper Magazine, both containing articles about Mills.
Six newspaper clippings about Pan American World Airways.
The F. Charles Ruegg Papers consists primarily of correspondence, photographs, and notes from Ruegg’s employment with Pan American World Airways from 1940 to 1951. These materials primarily document his experience with Pan Am in Africa (PAA Africa) during World War II.
This collection includes documents, photographs, correspondence, clippings and other materials related to Toomey's employment with the New York, Rio and Buenos Aires Airline, Panair do Brasil, and Pan American World Airways from 1929-1961.
Ione Wright, a Professor Emeritus at the University of Miami, researched the development of Pan American Airlines' Transpacific service. The Ione Wright papers contain documents, oral histories, photographs, operations manuals, maps, and other materials related to the history of Pan American Airlines, including materials related to Victor Wright and materials documenting the establishment of routes in the Pacific.
The topical files document a variety of subjects related to Pan American Airlines, dating from 1920-1986. Ione Wright compiled many of the files during her research on the airline’s activities in the Pacific, including correspondence with former Pan Am employees and oral history transcripts. Also included are photographs, files related to the China Clipper, and a variety of Pan Am publications.
The collection also contains navigation manuals and operations manuals for Pan Am airplanes, including the B-727, the DC-4, the DC-6, and the DC-7, as well as operations manuals for Pan American Airlines’ Latin American Division.
Also included a variety of maps and aviation charts for parts of the United States, South America, and the Caribbean, as well as route maps for Pan American Airlines, and a map of the United States by John Melish from 1816.
The L. J. Easterbrook Papers contains Pan American World Airways, Inc. aerospace engineering manuals. Subjects include flight controls, hydraulic and landing gear systems, and maintenance. Personal accident insurance pamphlets are also included.
The Leonard Albasi/Gill Family Collection contains eight copy negatives and ten copy prints of 1937 photographs of American pilot Amelia Earhart at an unidentified airfield, probably Miami's Municipal Field. In 1937, Earhart made her second attempt at flying solo around the world. Her preparations included a stop between March 22nd and 31st, at Miami's Municipal Field near today's Opa-Locka Airport. After leaving New Guinea on July 2, 1937, Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.
The collection contains the personal papers of Louis J. Hector, in the form of clippings, invitations, letters, memorandum, notebooks, photographs, and reports. Prominently represented are files pertaining to the University of Miami, the Southeast Banking Corporation, Pan American World Airways, Inc., the Civil Aeronautics Board, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Gallery, the National Humanities Center, and the Academy of Arts and Sciences.
This collection currently contains advertisements, ephemera, pamphlets, scrapbooks, and graphic materials from National Airlines, mostly dating to the 1970s.
This collection consists of the records of the Pan Am Historical Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving the history of Pan American World Airways, Inc.
