National Air and Space Museum Archives

Mansfield Lahm Airport Memorial and Dedication Scrapbook

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0268
Dates:
September 9, 1967
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
0.24 Cubic feet
1 flat box
Repository:
Frank Purdy Lahm (1877--1963) was the first balloon pilot, the first airship pilot, and the first airplane pilot in the US Army. Lahm was born in Mansfield, Ohio and on September 9, 1967, the airport there was renamed in his honor and dedicated as the Mansfield Lahm Airport. This collection consists of a scrapbook documenting the dedication ceremony for Mansfield Lahm Airport held on September 9, 1967.

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of a scrapbook documenting the dedication ceremony for Mansfield Lahm Airport held on September 9, 1967. The scrapbook includes 8 by 10 inch black and white photographs of the day's events as well as some ephemera, including a souvenir program. Speakers and other participants in the event that are pictured in the scrapbook include Paul E. Garber; Robert A. "Bob" Hoover; Royal D. Frey; Martin F. "Mike" Scanlon; William C. "Bill" Diehl; Ernest Craft Hall; Glenn E. Messer; Errol H. Zistel; William Austin Denehie; Stanley I. Vaughn; George A. Page, Jr; Emil Matthew Laird; George Henry Scragg; Claude W. Pound; and Fred W. Haise, Jr. Some of the photographs also show aircraft that participated in the day's aircraft display and air show including the Northrop T-38A Talon, McDonnell F-4D Phantom II, Cessna T-37 (Cessna 318B), Lockheed C-130 Hercules, Breezy RLU1 (Roloff-Liposky-Unger), North American P-51 Mustang, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, as well as a Quail Decoy Missile (ADM-20, GAM-72) and a Hounddog Missile (AGM-28, GAM-77). Also shown on the ground and in flight are the US Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team.

Arrangement

Arrangement
Collection is in original order.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
Frank Purdy Lahm (1877--1963) was the first balloon pilot, the first airship pilot, and the first airplane pilot in the US Army. Like his father, Frank Samuel Lahm, his early interest was in ballooning, and in 1906 he won the James Gordon Bennett International Balloon Race. In 1909 Lahm and Lt. Frederick E. Humphreys were trained by Orville and Wilbur Wright to fly the first plane the US Army purchased from the Wrights. In 1912 he was made commanding officer of the US Army Flying School in the Philippines, and during World War I he was commander of the Second Army Air Service. Following the war Lahm founded the Air Corps Training Center at Randolph Field, a source of great pride to him, but was reassigned in 1931 as air attaché and later military attaché to France and Belgium. When Lahm retired from the military in 1941 he had distinguished himself as recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal and the French Legion of Honor. Lahm was born in Mansfield, Ohio and on September 9, 1967, the airport there was renamed in his honor and dedicated as the Mansfield Lahm Airport. The event included speeches, a showing of the film The Lahm Story (produced by the US Air Force Museum and narrated by James Stewart), the unveiling of a bust of Lahm and a plaque sponsored by the Early Birds in his honor, luncheon, military band concert, aircraft display and air show, formal reception and dinner, and a military ball.

Administration

Author
Jessamyn Lloyd
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Paul E. Garber, Gift, date unknown, NASM.XXXX.0268.
Processing Information
Arranged, described, and encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd, 2022.

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
Mansfield Lahm Airport Memorial and Dedication Scrapbook, NASM.XXXX.0268, 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
Airports Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Air pilots Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airplanes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Scrapbooks Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Lahm, Frank Purdy, 1877-1963 Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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