National Air and Space Museum Archives

Glennan-Webb-Seamans Project Interviews, 1985-1990

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.1999.0036
Creators:
Collins, Martin
Dates:
1985-1990
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
3.01 Cubic feet
16 boxes
Repository:
This collection consists of the transcripts for the Glennen-Webb-Seamans Project (GWS), which examines various aspects of NASA management practices during the Apollo program. This project constitutes one of several oral history projects conducted within the Department of Space History, NASM. The principal investigator for the GWS was Martin Collins and the interview set contains 193 hours of interviews with 22 individuals. The central thread of this collection was the problem of configuring new political relations among the space sciences and sponsors. The following individuals were interviewed: J. Leland Atwood; Delmer Bradshaw; James Burnett; Paul Demitriades; Edward Doll; Peter Downey; Brian Duff; James Elms; James Fletcher; Robert Gilruth; T. Keith Glennan; Donald Jacobs; Ruben Mettler; Mark Miller; George Mueller; Samuel Phillips; Simon Ramo; Robert Seamans; Willis Shapley; Abe Silverstein; David Soergel; Harrison Storms; James Webb; Thorton Wilson; and Herbert York.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
The Glennan-Webb-Seamans Project Interviews consist of 193 hours of interviews with 26 individuals. The audio cassette tapes of these interviews have yet to be remastered and, due to their fragility, are unavailable to researchers. Transcripts are available to researchers, though there are restrictions placed on a number of them. A NASM staff member will advise the patron which transcripts are available for copying or viewing and how to order copies of transcripts and/or CDs.

Arrangement

Arrangement
The Glennan-Webb-Seamans (GWS) Project Interviews are arranged alphabetically by interviewee. Boxes 1-11 (Series 1) contain the interviews on audio cassette tapes. These tapes have yet to be remastered and, due to their fragility, are not available to researchers.
Boxes 12-16 (Series 2) contain the transcripts for these cassette tapes. Most of these transcripts are available to researchers, though restrictions are placed on a small number of them. Transcripts with user restrictions are highlighted in bold type.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
This collection contains the interviews of the Glennan-Webb-Seamans Project (GWS). These interviews analyze a variety of facets revolving around NASA management and its handling of contractors during the Apollo program. The individuals listed as part of this collection's name refer to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) first two administrators and the agency's deputy administrator during much of the 1960s. The principal (though, by no means the only) interviewer for this project was Martin Collins and the interview set consists of 193 hours of interviews with 26 individuals. These interview subjects represent some of the most influential decision-makers at NASA, the aerospace industry and academia. The following were interviewed for this project: J. Leland Atwood; Delmer Bradshaw; James Burnett; Paul Demitriades; Edward Doll; Peter Downey; Brian Duff; James Elms; James Fletcher; Robert Gilruth; T. Keith Glennan; Donald Jacobs; Ruben Mettler; Mark Miller; John Moore; George Mueller; Samuel Phillips; Simon Ramo; Robert Seamans; Willis Shapley; Abe Silverstein; David Soergel; Harrison Storms; James Webb; Thornton Wilson and Herbert York. Among the myriad of topics discussed in these interviews is the Apollo 1 [204] fire that killed astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee on January 27, 1967, during a test at the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. The GWS Project constitutes one of a number of oral history efforts endeavors conducted by the National Air and Space Museum's (NASM) Department of Space History.

Administration

Author
Mark Kahn
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Department of Space History, Transfer, 1999, 1999-0036, Varies
Processing Information
Arranged and described by Mark Kahn, 2007.
Encoded by Rihoko Ueno, 2012.

Using the Collection

Preferred Citation
Glennan-Webb-Seamans Project Interviews, Acc. 1999-0036, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
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 note
Various restrictions apply.

More Information

General note

General note
This collection consists of the interview transcripts, not the tapes.


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Transcripts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Astronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
York, Herbert F. (Herbert Frank) Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wilson, Thorton Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Webb, James E. (James Edwin), 1906-1992 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Storms, Harrison A., Jr., 1915-1992 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Seamans, Robert C. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Shapley, Willis Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Silverstein, Abe Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Soergel, David Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mueller, G. E. (George Edwin), 1918- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Phillips, Samuel Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Project Apollo (U.S.) Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Ramo, Simon Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Glennan-Webb-Seamans Project for Research in Space History Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Jacobs, Donald Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Mettler, Ruben F., 1924- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Miller, Mark Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Fletcher, James Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Gilruth, Robert Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Glennan, Thomas Keith, 1905-1995 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Elms, James C., 1916- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Doll, Edward Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Demitriades, Paul Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Duff, Brian. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Downey, Peter Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Bradshaw, Delmer Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Burnett, James Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Atwood, John Leland, 1904-1999 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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