McGinnis (Captain Knefler) Personal Papers, 1892-1980

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Summary

Title:
Captain Knefler McGinnis Personal Papers
Dates:
1892-1980
Creators:
McGinnis, Captain Knefler
Abstract:
Capt. Knefler McGinnis served in the U.S. Navy from 1912 to 1946, having been trained as a naval aviator and serving aboard several naval destroyers and making several flight records.
Extent:
0.45 Cubic Feet one box 15” x 5”x 10.5”.
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives”]

Background

Scope and content:

Collection consists of one box 15” x 5”x 10.5”. There are newspaper clippings, letters, orders from the military, procedures for commissioning ships, personal photographs and official military photographs. There are separate folders for newspaper clippings, a speech with no date on it, articles and comics from The Honolulu Start Bulletin correspondence regarding graduation ceremonies of the Naval War College in Newport, RI, correspondence regarding the commissioning of the U. S. S. Norton Sound, correspondence regarding the commissioning of the U. S. S. Pine Island, correspondence regarding the commissioning of the U. S. S. Salisbury Sound, a folder with miscellaneous speech, certificate of record and valuation of household and personal effects. One folder contains personal and military photographs from 1928 when Knefler McGinnis was stationed at Guantanamo Bay and Santiago, Cuba. Another folder contains personal photographs of Knefler McGinnis and his wife, Roberta. One folder contains the Laws of the Navy and another folder has official military photographs of a ceremony on June 23, 1945.

Biographical / historical:

Captain Knefler McGinnis was born on July 21, 1892 in Indianapolis, Indiana and moved to Washington, D. C. with his family as a child. He became a page in the United States Senate prior to receiving his appointment to the Naval Academy in 1912.

After he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1916, he served aboard several naval destroyers. He was stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in the 1920’s. He entered the Bureau of Aeronautics to complete his training as a naval aviator. There are several articles and notices of his flying expertise in the collection.

He set world records for flight times and distances throughout his naval career. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross as commanding officer for a record-setting 1935 flight from Norfolk, VA, to Coco Solo, Canal Zone, and finally to San Francisco, CA, in which he led a flight of Consolidated XP3Ys of VP-10. He was commander of a squadron at Pearl Harbor at the time of the Japanese attack. No personnel under his command were lost during the attack.

He was commander of Naval Station Terminal Island commissioning three ships during before his retirement in 1946. He moved to La Jolla, CA with his wife, Roberta, and worked with Consolidated (an aircraft manufacturer) after World War II. Roberta passed away in December 1979. Captain Knefler McGinnis passed away a few weeks later on January 3, 1980.

Acquisition information:
The materials in this collection were donated to the San Diego Air Space Museum.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Alan Renga
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2016-01-29 17:08:15 +0000 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to researchers by appointment.

Terms of access:

Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.

Preferred citation:

[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives”]

Location of this collection:
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 234-8291
archives@sdasm.org
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