Descriptive Finding Guide for the Captain Knefler McGinnis Personal Papers. SDASM.SC.10093
Alan Renga
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
10/24/2014
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Captain Knefler McGinnis Personal Papers
source:
McGinnis, Captain Knefler
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10093
Physical Description:
0.45 Cubic Feet
one box 15” x 5”x 10.5”.
Date (inclusive): 1892-1980
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.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
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”]
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials in this collection were donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Related Materials
Various albums include Captain Knefler McGinnis.
Related Research Institutions:
The California State Military Museum
1119 Second Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
www.militarymuseum.org
Secondary Sources:
“Ex-Navy Capt. McGinnis Dies.” San Diego Union Tribune, January 7, 1980.
Scope and Contents
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.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Consolidated XP3Y
McGinnis, Captain Knefler
Guantánamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba)
United States. Navy. Patrol Squadron VP-10
Naval Air Station Terminal Island
USS Salisbury Sound
USS Pine Island
Folder 01 – Newspaper clipping of Captain Knefler McGinnis.
Folder 02 – Speech for War Bonds, July 4 (Year Not Known)
Folder 03 – Newspaper Article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin dated January 11, 1934.
Folder 04 – Newspaper Article and Comics from the Honolulu Star Bulletin dated January 11, 1934.
Folder 05 – Correspondence regarding Graduation of the Naval War College, Newport, RI from March 15, 1939; March 31, 1939,
April 15, 1939 and May 2, 1939
Physical Description: Folder contains 16 items: A 5 page of memorandum regarding the graduation ceremony, a 1 page Receipt of Orders, 6 pages of
Academic Selection and four pages of memorandums regarding orders.
Folder 06 – Correspondence for the commissioning of the U. S. S. Norton Sound
January 4, 1945 to January 8, 1945.
Physical Description: Folder contains 12 items: a 1 page hand-written letter dated January 4, 1944; a Military Restricted letter dated January
8, 1945 (five copies); the two-page Commissioning Orders dated January 8, 1945; the two page speech for commissioning the
U. S. S. Norton Sound (2 copies) and a guide for General Muster (1 page).
Folder 07 – Correspondence regarding the commissioning of the U. S. S. Pine Island
April 24, 1945.
Physical Description: Folder contains 9 items: Commissioning Orders and the speech for commissioning the U. S. S. Pine Island dated April 24, 1945
(3 copies) and a speech to commission the U. S. S. Pine Island (6 pages).
Folder 08 – Correspondence regarding the commissioning of the U. S. S. Salisbury Sound November 26, 1945.
Physical Description: Folder contains 10 items: A Restricted Letter Commissioning Orders to Commission the U. S. S. Salisbury Sound (6 pages); the
Procedures for Commissioning Ceremony (2 pages); a two-page speech for commissioning of the U. S. S. Salisbury Sound.
Folder 09 - Miscellaneous Papers
Physical Description: Folder contains 3 items: A Certificate of Record dated December 31, 1935 (one page); a speech typed on July 4, 1945 (one page);
and a Certificate of Valuation of Household and Personal Effects (one page).
Folder 10 – Negative of Photograph – Mrs. Roberta Knefler in an envelope addressed to her.
Folder 11 – Personal and Military Photographs of Guantanamo Bay, Guam Bay, G. Bay and Santiago, Cuba
Physical Description: Folder contains 58 items: Fifty-six 3 ½ x 5 photos; one 5 x 6 ½ photograph and one 6 ½ x 8 ½ photograph.
Folder 12 – Personal Photographs
Physical Description: Folder contains 39 photographs: Twenty-one 8 ½ x 11 photographs; one 6 ½ x 10 photograph; one 6 x 8 photograph and sixteen
3 ½ x 4 ½ photographs.
Folder 13 – Official Photographs from the Bond Rally at Terminal Island Naval Air Station June 22, 1945.
Physical Description: Folder contains 8 8 x 10 photographs.
Folder 14 – Laws of the Navy
Physical Description: Folder contains 4 pages of the Laws of the Navy.
Folder 15 - Donor Information and Requests about Collection
Physical Description: Folder contains information regarding the donor Nicolas S. Jose the nephew of Captain Knefler McGinnis and his request of
the handling of collection.
