NEWSLETTER The Friends of the Air Force Academy Library P.O. Box 188 U.S. Air Force Academy, CO 80840-0188 [email protected] www.friends.usafalibrary.com VOL. IV NO. 8 FALL 2014 THE GENESIS OF FLIGHT—NOW ONLINE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE As a gateway to humanity’s book collecting. He knew the latter This past February, The Friends 5,000-year heritage of the dreams world well, and by the 1930s he completed one of the most significant and achievement of flight, nothing had acquired a widely respected projects in our history, making The matches the Colonel Richard collection of the works of Charles Genesis of Flight available on the Gimbel Aeronautical History Dickens. worldwide web. As a result of this Collection of the United States Air During World War II Gimbel was nearly four-year effort, information Force Academy. Charles Lindbergh an administrative officer assigned to about the Gimbel Aeronautical called it simply “the finest and most the 8th Air Force in England. While History Collection (and The Friends) valuable collection of aeronautical there, he bought a box of aeronautical is now available to anyone in the documents in the world.” items in a bombed London book world with a computer. Over the Bringing Gimbel’s Collection store and began his aeronautical next few years, we anticipate that to the Air Force Academy collection. He remained in the Air awareness of the collection, and Richard Gimbel was the son of Force after the war and retired in its priceless contents will certainly a founder of Gimbels’ department 1951 as Professor of Air Science at enhance the reputation of the stores, at one time the largest Yale University. His aeronautical McDermott Library as one of the department store chain in America. collection remained at Yale during leading repositories for material on As an affluent young man, Gimbel his lifetime, but he bequeathed it the history of flight in the world. was passionate about flying and to the Air Force Academy thanks This momentous achievement would to the good offices of not have been possible without the Lindbergh, Lt. Gen. Hubert generous support of our patrons Harmon (the Academy’s who have been essential in the first Superintendent), and completion of our many projects over Brig. Gen. George Fagan the years. I want to thank you all. (an early director of the But success also has challenges and Academy Library and one of The Friends face one of those now. the founders of The Friends We are embarking on a major effort of the Air Force Academy to determine what our next areas of Library). After Gimbel’s emphasis should be and what projects death in 1970, his collection we might undertake to continue our came to the Academy. service to both the Academy and the Gimbel’s Collection Library. While many of the things The Gimbel Collection we do are the result of inputs from contains more than 20,000 the Library staff, we also need to be items including ancient seals responsive to the larger community carved from semiprecious of our patrons. With this challenge stones; books printed soon in mind, I am inviting each of you after the Gutenberg Bible to let us know your suggestions in the 1450s; color prints regarding potential areas of emphasis depicting early aviators and future projects. We will be and parachutists; letters carefully considering possibilities and manuscripts written by over the next few months and will Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, keep you posted on what we decide. Otto Lilienthal, Count Again, thank you for your continued Colonel Richard Gimbel (back row, center) with von Zeppelin, and the support; we look forward to hearing officers of the B-17 in which he flew his first Wright brothers; medallions from you in the near future. combat mission continued on page 2

1 THE GENESIS OF FLIGHT—NOW ONLINE continued from page 1 from the 1780s honoring the available worldwide. first manned balloon flights; and The Online Program images from popular art forms like Visitors to The Friends advertisements, dime novels, and website (www.friends. sheet music. usafalibrary.com) can Making the Collection tap a “Genesis of Flight” Accessible button to: Wishing to increase awareness • Witness the of the collection among cadets, the advent of flight as Academy staff, and the international reported in contemporary community of scholars, The Friends books, letters, prints, and published in 2000 an illustrated other media. catalog with representative samples • Trace the from the Gimbel holdings. Titled influence of individual The Genesis of Flight, the book aviators, concepts, and events. Letter from Wilbur Wright, written about includes photographs along with • Learn the history and 10 months after the first sustained, pow- introductions and analyses by highlights of the collection. ered flight eminent scholars. • Download chapters for Even as The Friends were offline study. some dating from 3,000 years before publishing the handsome, well- The online program comprises the birth of Christ. These seals with received book, they wanted to do over 300 images accompanied by their depictions of real and fanciful more to increase accessibility to enlargements, voiced descriptions flying figures were pressed into the collection, and in 2011 they narrated by Will Ketterson (a former clay tablets to verify authenticity Chief of Media Relations at the much as we use signatures today. Academy and Vice President of Archeologists Ellen Morris and The Friends), scholarly analyses, Holly Pittman introduced and interactive tables of contents, and annotated this chapter. search engines. Each chapter exists in multiple Six chapters, including a video versions, ensuring compatibility introduction by Tom Crouch, Senior with various browsers that account Curator of Aeronautics at the for about 80 percent of all page hits Smithsonian National Air and Space on the Worldwide Web. Museum, describe the collection. Honoring Our Aviation Eight chapters provide annotated Heritage illustrations from the collection. By publishing the online Genesis Typical of these chapters is of Flight, The Friends acknowledge “Manuscripts,” introduced and a debt to Richard Gimbel and annotated by Professor Clive Hart the many aviation pioneers who of the University of Essex, England. “gave their all of old.” We believe View of Richmond drawn by a Union bal- It includes manuscripts and personal Gimbel would be pleased to know loonist during the American Civil War letters written by notable figures his priceless gift to the Academy is like H.G. Wells, author of War becoming, as well, a gift to those of resumed discussions about a project of the Worlds; Count Ferdinand every time and place “who love the to put The Genesis of Flight online. von Zeppelin, inventor of the first vastness of the sky.” Today the completed project makes practical airship; and Wilbur Wright. the riches of the Gimbel Collection Another chapter covers “Seals,”

FRIENDS GRADUATE DATABASE UPDATE We will continue to update the for other Academy or AOG awards. to acquire such data. The Friends electronic databases maintained Our intent is to provide an archive will continue to work around on our website. These databases of information to assist in the study these restrictions, but it is likely consist of information on Air Force of graduates who have become that we will not be able to add Academy graduates who have their role models for future generations. much to current entries and names inscribed on the Graduate In the future, the major problem that new entries will contain War Memorial Wall, who have we will face is obtaining relevant much less detailed information. been detained as Prisoners of War, personal information to populate who are recipients of the Jabara individual files. Privacy legislation Award, and who have been selected has now made it nearly impossible 2 NEW FRIENDS BOARD MEMBERS 2014 At The Friends annual Board of War II aircrews; and the DVD the Department of Military and Directors meeting in May 2014, the Expect Great Things, the fiftieth Strategic Studies, some as its head. Board unanimously appointed two anniversary documentary history His career also included launch new members: Col. (ret.) James of the Academy, 1954 – 2004. He control operations for the ground Gaston and Lt Col. (ret.) Steven rejoins the Board after a three-year launched cruise missile at Comiso Pomeroy. absence during which he created AS, Italy; combat crew duties for Jim Gaston is a 1963 graduate of the online program The Genesis of the Minuteman III intercontinental the Academy with a master’s degree Flight featuring 300 items from the ballistic missile at Minot AFB, from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Academy’s Gimbel Aeronautical North Dakota; mission flight and a doctorate from the University History Collection. control operations for ballistic of Oklahoma. He flew F-100s in the A new addition to The missile test and space lift launches Vietnam War, is a graduate of the Friends team, Steven Pomeroy at Vandenberg AFB, California; National War College, and served is currently completing a book and planning and programming for many years in the Academy’s entitled An Untaken Road: for the space force applications English Department, two years as its Strategy, Technology, and the mission area at Headquarters, acting head. Jim has a long history Mobile ICBM. Steven holds a Air Force Space Command. He of support for The Friends and the Ph.D. in the History of Technology and his wife, Marnie, a speech- Academy Library: He produced (Auburn University), an M.A. language pathologist and native oral histories in digital video and in the Humanities (California of Saskatchewan, Canada, have print for over 30 of the Academy’s State University), and a B.A. two children. Active within the Superintendents, Deans of Faculty, in History (Pennsylvania State Colorado Springs community, Commandants, and other key figures; University). He recently retired Steven also serves on the board of video programs on falconry and on from the Air Force after twenty-five directors for the Rocky Mountain the evasion experiences of World years of service, including eight in Classical Academy. STALAG LUFT III REUNION

Guests of the Stalag Luft III reunion entering Fairchild Hall. On August 28, 2014, about 150 attendees of the Stalag Luft III reunion in Colorado Springs, including a dozen former POWs, visited the McDermott Library. The Friends helped with obtaining access and arranging Library tours. Lieutenant General A.P. Clark’s scrapbook and papers, as well as camp newspapers and many other World War II collections, were available for viewing. History Department faculty gave a presentation on joint bomber operations, as did the Library staff on the digitized historical materials held by the Academy that are available online at http://afac.sdp.sirsi.mil. Judging from the extensive newspaper coverage and the smiles from the former POWs, the visit was a great success. The next day, at the reunion banquet, five Friends Honor Book certificates were presented, including one for Dr. Mary Elizabeth Ruwell, Chief of Special Collections at the McDermott Library. 3 THE FRIENDS 2014 ANNUAL BOARD MEETING AND LUNCHEON

obtain information from official our new fiscal year structure that sources as we attempt to update begins the year on July 1st and the current databases as well as ends on June 30th. He reported acquire information for our new that our expenses were within project involving distinguished our budget and that there are no alumni award recipients. Finally, significant unresolved financial Col. (ret.) Jim Gaston updated issues to discuss. the group on the online version The first item under new of The Genesis of Flight and business was the reelection of the importance of ensuring that the Executive Committee. Philip it remains compatible with the Caine, Andrew Biancur, Martin most popular browsers. The Board Daack, James Head, Peggy thanked Colonel Gaston for his Litwhiler, Jock Schwank, and dedicated work and the quality of James Titus were unanimously his final product. elected. Col. (ret.) James Gaston The President then moved and Lt. Col. (ret.) Steven to old business. The first order Pomeroy were nominated and was the reelection of members elected unanimously to serve of the Board whose term expires on the Board of Directors. The in 2014 Col. (ret.) Martin Daack, President then proposed the Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson speaks at Lt. Gen. (ret.) Brad Hosmer, addition of James Gaston, Steven The Friends annual luncheon Col. (ret.) Phillip Meilinger, and Pomeroy, and Erlind Royer All Lt. Col. (ret.) James Titus. All were unanimously approved. The Board of Directors of The were unanimously approved. The President Caine asked the Board Friends of the Air Force Academy election of officers followed. The to approve moving Dr. Don White Library held its annual meeting on May slate of Brig. Gen. (ret.) Philip and Ms. Sue Stone Woodward 21, 2014. President Phil Caine opened Caine, President; Brig. Gen. (ret.) from Board of Directors to the meeting and briefly reviewed the Erlind Royer, Vice President; Col. Honorary Board Member status activities of The Friends during the past (ret.) Andrew Biancur, Secretary; since neither is able any longer to year. He commented on The Friends and Col. (ret) Jock Schwank, participate in the activities of the continuing role in preserving Academy Treasurer; was unanimously Board. Approval was unanimous. heritage as well as the organization's elected. Treasurer Schwank gave President Caine then opened continuing position as one of the key the financial report for FY 2013. the floor for discussion of non-profits dedicated to enhancing the This was the first full year under the revised Friends policies. quality of the Academy experience. Lt. continued on page 5 Col. (ret.) Jim Titus next reported on the award of the Clark-Yudkin Fellowships for 2014. He explained that we were able to award two since the cost of both requests totaled less than the fellowship funding limit. Dr. Mary Elizabeth Ruwell, the Academy Archivist, updated the Board on the continuing importance of the work of Ms. Melissa Robohn, our independent contractor, and thanked The Friends for making her available for critical cataloging work in the Special Collections Branch. Dr. Ruwell also expressed her thanks for the work of Mr. Travis Pollok who terminated his employment the first of the year. Col. (ret.) Andrew Biancur summarized the status of The Friends three online graduate databases, the Memorial Wall, Prisoner of War, and Jabara Award, and stressed their importance in the preservation of Colonel Gaston demonstrates the new online version of The Genesis Academy heritage. He also reviewed of Flight the challenges posed by our inability to 4 continued from page 4 projects that might be suitable for outstanding work on bringing this After a short discussion all were The Friends to undertake. Lt. Col. project to fruition. Our luncheon unanimously approved. The Board (ret.) Gary Howe, Vice President of speaker was the Superintendent, thanked Secretary Biancur for the Association of Graduates, and Lt. Gen. Michelle Johnson. She his superb work on the revisions. Dr. Ed Scott, Director of Academy gave a very informative and well- The Treasurer gave the FY 2014 Libraries, each briefly summarized received talk about her first year as financial report. He reported that we issues and actions in their respective the Superintendent, issues presently will end the fiscal year with a surplus areas that might impact The Friends. facing the Academy, her thoughts on over the budget because of several The meeting was then adjourned for the future of the institution, and the factors, principally the change from the Annual Luncheon. continuing challenges the Academy two independent contractors to one We are pleased to report that faces in these difficult financial on January 1, 2014. Investment attendance at the luncheon was times. President Caine presented returns have also been healthy for very good. Prior to lunch, Col. Jim General Johnson a copy of Col. Phil this fiscal year. The Treasurer then Gaston gave a very informative and Meilinger's book, Harmon, which presented the proposed budget well-received presentation on the was published by The Friends, as for FY 2015. It was unanimously significance of having The Genesis a memento of her presentation. approved. President Caine briefly of Flight available on the worldwide The next meeting of the Board of reviewed several planned FY 2015 web. He also included a brief Directors and Annual Luncheon will projects including revising The tutorial on accessing the material. be in May 2015. Watch for further Friends website and continuing He stressed that this achievement is information in early Spring. our conservation efforts in the one of the most significant in The Special Collections Branch. He also Friends history. President Caine urged the Board to think of new thanked Colonel Gaston for his

CLARK-YUDKIN RESEARCH FELLOWS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2014-2015 The Clark-Yudkin Research History, The Ohio State University; Fellowship provides short-term Master of Operational Art & financial grants to assist visiting Science; Air Command & Staff scholars who wish to make use of the College, Air University, 2009; B.S., archival materials in the Academy Military History, U.S. Air Force Library’s Clark Special Collections Academy, 1995 Branch. Established in 2011, the Research interests: Airpower fellowship is named in honor of history and contemporary joint the late Lt. Gen. Albert P. Clark, operations a founder and former president of Project title: “Blue Torch: continued on page 5 The Friends, and the late Maj. Gen. Laurence Kuter and the Making of Richard A. Yudkin, a generous the Independent Air Force” benefactor of our organization. We Project summary: A doctoral Dan Gashler are pleased to announce the names dissertation that will examine the of New York at Binghamton; B.A., of the two individuals who have been life and military career of General Archaeology and Linguistics, selected as Clark-Yudkin Fellows for Laurence S. Kuter (1905-1979). Brigham Young University 2014-2015: General Kuter was involved in Research interests: U.S. foreign many of the pre-war and World War policy, European integration, global II developments that foreshadowed history, and memory studies the independent Air Force and Project title: “Axis or Allies? subsequently played a pivotal role Rescuing Downed Airmen over in the USAF during the early years Yugoslavia, 1943-1945” of the Cold War. In the words of Project summary: A scholarly one respected military historian, article examining how the U.S. Army “It is fair to say that of all the early Air Forces and the Office of Strategic leaders of the Air Force, Kuter is Services (OSS) managed to convince the most important about whom the both Communist partisans and their least has been written.” bitter political opponents (e.g., the Dan Gashler, Graduate Serbian Cetniks) to jointly assist Lt. Col. Joel Higley student, Department of History, the evasion efforts of hundreds of State University of New York downed American and British airmen Lt Col. Joel E. Higley, USAF, at Binghamton; M.A., Modern in German-occupied Yugoslavia Graduate student, Department of European History, State University during World War II.

5 BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Philip D. Caine Brig. General, USAF (ret.) Vice President Erlind G. Royer Brig. General, USAF (ret.) Secretary Andrew W. Biancur Colonel, USAF (ret.) Treasurer General Fogleman discusses his donation with Jock C. H. Schwank Colonel, USAF (ret.) Dr. Ruwell Mrs. John M. Bennett Martin T. Daack Colonel, USAF (ret.) James C. Gaston REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF ACADEMY LIBRARIES Colonel, USAF (ret.) Mike Gould* Lt. General, USAF (ret.) Thanks to the work of Ms. Melissa Robohn and Mr. Travis Pollok, contracted James H. Head Brig. General, USAF (ret.) by The Friends, the Library has been able to digitize and create metadata for many Bradley C. Hosmer* items in the Special Collections holdings. The Library now has over 5,000 scanned Lt. General, USAF (ret.) items available on its cloud server at http://afac.sdp.sirsi.net , as well as the Doolittle Gary Howe Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) photographs and Fred Hill color photographs of WWII available at www.friends. Richard W. Lemp Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) usafalibrary.com. Ms. Robohn, former librarian at Vandenberg AFB, quickly picked Mrs. Peggy Litwhiler up on the cataloging of the Hanscom AFB Research Lab books and has streamlined Phillip Meilinger the process of standardizing the electronic records of the Library’s collection of Colonel, USAF (ret.) Steven A. Pomeroy rare books. We miss Mr. Pollok, who completed his history degree at University of Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) Colorado – Colorado Springs and is now working for the Wyoming State Library. Mr. Duane J. Reed The Friends of the Library continue to support the McDermott Library, particularly Winfield W. Scott, Jr.* Lt. General, USAF (ret.) in our effort to preserve Air Force heritage. The Friends solicited rare books and James R. W. Titus Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) artwork, memorabilia, films, and electronic media dealing with aeronautic, space, HONORARY DIRECTORS and airpower themes. Among this year’s acquisitions will be papers from General Elliott V. Converse, III Colonel, USAF (ret.) Ronald R. Fogleman (Class of 1963) and former Air Force Chief of Staff (1994-97). Gordon P. Culver Having The Friends offer to defray shipping costs for those materials and provide Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) funding for other projects enables us to maintain our traditional standard of excellence John R. Dallager* Maj. General, USAF (ret.) during times of limited budgets. Charles R. Hamm* Lt. General, USAF (ret.) Academic Year 2013/2014 presented the Library with a variety of challenges. Dona R. H. Hildebrand Pressure has been especially heavy on our staffing. Although we faced 40 hours Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) of mandated furloughs, the Library did not close; the staff graciously shifted John W. Huston Maj. General, USAF (ret.) responsibilities to keep us open. Even so, the Library will have to close on Saturdays Mr. Harold U. Littrell during this academic year. For the first time in our history we were without a STEM Tad J. Oelstrom* Lt. General, USAF (ret.) (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) librarian until we were able Reiner H. Schaeffer Lt. Colonel, USAF (ret.) to transfer a newer librarian into one of those positions. Additionally, a librarian Dr. Donald H. White, Ph.D. slot was removed from our manning document and transferred to another faculty Ms. Susan Stone Woodward organization. Finally, the Air Force Civilian Restructuring plan has identified seven *Former Superintendent of people for reduction in force (RIF) between now and September 2016. Additionally, the Academy while the library budget has increased by 51% in the last 20 years, the cost of books is up 214% and journals and databases are up a whopping 429% in the same period. As we begin the Fall 2014 term, we have five fewer librarians and four-and-a-half fewer support staff. We hope to have most of the positions filled before the end of the Fall Term, but sequestration is still running its 10-year course through 2023. So, yes, your support is more important than ever.

6