National Air and Space Museum Archives

William Aiken Sr., Papers

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.1997.0024
Creators:
Aiken, William Sr., 1907-
Dates:
1907-1980
bulk 1935-1974
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.45 Cubic feet
(1 legal document box)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection contains Pilot Log Books, photographs, newspaper clippings, California Civil Air Patrol documents, financial and personal records, an autobiographical manuscript and negatives, all pertaining to William Aiken, his family and friends.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
William Aiken, Sr. was a pioneer in African-American aviation in California from the 1930s through the 1960s. He was born in Plainsdealing, Louisiana in 1907, left home at the age of 13 and worked his way to California performing odd jobs. In the mid-1920s he started his own car washing business and began taking flying lessons. In 1928 he soloed for the first time and in 1936, Aiken earned his private pilot's license. He joined the California Civil Air Patrol, and was appointed a Second Lieutenant and Commanding Officer of the Los Angeles Squadron #7, California Wing in 1948. Aiken became a flight instructor, instructing not only his own children, but any African-American youth with the desire to learn to fly. He continued to fly until he suffered a stroke in 1969.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Kim Hamilton, gift, 1997, 1997-0024, Unknown

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
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

More Information

General

General
NASMrev


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
African American air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Periodicals Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Manuscripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Logs (records) Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Financial records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aiken, William Sr., 1907- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
United States. Civil Air Patrol -- California. Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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