National Air and Space Museum Archives

Parks Air College Photographs [Wylan]

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.2019.0006
Creators:
Wylan, Donald, 1921-
Dates:
Circa 1939-1941
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.05 Cubic feet
1 folder
Repository:
This collection consists of 29 black and white photographs pertaining to Donald Wylan's time at Parks Air College.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of 29 black and white photographs pertaining to Donald Wylan's time at Parks Air College. The prints range in size from approximately 4.25 by 2.75 inches up to 5 by 7 inches. The photographs show Parks Air College facilities, instructors, and students (including Wylan) as well as aircraft including the Stinson (Aircraft) SR Reliant; Stearman (1927) PT-13 Kaydet (Model 75); Martin (Glenn L.) B-10 (Model 139); Douglas C-39; North American O-47; Curtiss P-36 Hawk; Meyers (Aircraft) OTW; Culver Dart-G; Travel Air Model 2000; Travel Air Model 4000 (Model 4); North American BC-1; Waco UIC (ATC #499); and the Stinson (Aircraft) Model R-3 Junior.

Arrangement

Arrangement
This collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Parks Air College in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 1927 by Oliver Parks, was the first federally certified school of aviation in the United States. During the 1930s, Parks Air College students manufactured their own series of aircraft (the Parks P-1, P-2 Speedster, P-2A Speedster, P-3, and P-4) but eventually the rights were sold to Ryan. Other ventures in the 1930s included Parks College Airline, a student run airline that operated until the 1950s on routes between the school and Chicago, Memphis, Indianapolis, and Kansas City. By 1936, enrollment was up to 200 students. A Civilian Pilot Training Program was established at Parks Air College in 1938 and enrollment soared. During World War II, thousands of pilots and aircraft mechanics received training at Parks Air College, and the school established a curriculum for training female pilots in 1944. In 1946, Oliver Parks donated Parks Air College to Saint Louis University where it continued to expand its facilities and course offerings. Today, Parks Air College is known as Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.
Donald Wylan (b. 1921) attended Parks Air College, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Maintenance Engineering in 1941. Wylan then joined the U. S. Navy and served with the Naval Air Transport Service Command, Engineering Division, as a Aviation Machinist's Mate 1st Class. Wylan later returned to Parks Air College and served as an instructor for courses in the assembly, rigging, hydraulics, and machine shops. Wylan then worked for McDonnell Douglas in various positions including Production Planner, Supervisor of Trades Training, and Administrator of Management Development before retiring in 1983 after 32 years of service.

Administration

Author
Jessamyn Lloyd
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Mark Wylan, Gift, 2018, NASM.2019.0006, Donated in honor of Donald Wylan.
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd, 2018.

Digital Content


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
Parks Air College Photographs [Wylan], NASM.2019.0006, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airplanes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Stinson (Aircraft) SR (Reliant) Family Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Culver Dart-G Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Travel Air Model 4000 (Model 4) Family Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Wylan, Donald, 1921- Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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