National Air and Space Museum Archives

Alva R. DeGarmo Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.1992.0049
Creators:
DeGarmo, Alva R., 1899-1988
Dates:
1916-1986
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
1.09 Cubic feet
(1 records center box)
1.04 Linear feet
Repository:
The Alva R. DeGarmo Collection consists of DeGarmo's army records; logbooks; Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines correspondence; material documenting his World War II activities; newspaper articles; photographs; and Western Air Lines anniversary items.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of the following: Army records; logbooks; Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines correspondence; material documenting his World War II activities; newspaper articles; photographs; and Western Air Lines anniversary items.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The Alva R. DeGarmo Collection is arranged by content type.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Alva R. DeGarmo (1899-1988) enlisted in the Army Air Service, soloing in 1920 in a Curtiss JN-4 at March Field, Riverside, CA. He was in the Air Service for three years before joining the Air Reserve Corps. During his service he patrolled the Mexican boarder and spotted forest fires in Oregon. After resigning from the Air Service and a brief stint in barnstorming, he worked for two years with Western Air Lines, being one of their first four pilots, the "Four Horseman." After two years he changed to Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines, flying with them until 1939. During World War II DeGarmo helped ferry bombers and transport planes across the Atlantic under the Pan American subsidiary, Atlantic Airways, and later during the War he took over a Pan American Miami to Rio De Janeiro passenger route. Towards the end of the war he worked for Curtiss Wright on C-46 fuel problems. He ended his aviation career with a short stint as a Lockheed test pilot after the war.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Richard and Bernice DeGarmo, gift, 1991, 1992-0049, NASM
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 1992.

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Use
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
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Preferred Citation
Alva R. DeGarmo Collection, Acc. NASM.1992.0049####, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

More Information

General

General
Other materials: Logbooks. Most of Alva DeGarmo's material was placed in the Delta Air Lines Museum.
General
NASMrev


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Military Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Periodicals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Maps Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
DeGarmo, Alva R., 1899-1988 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Western Airlines Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boeing Air Transport Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United Air Lines, Inc. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Atlantic Airways Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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