Collection Guide
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Gildred (Theodore) Personal Papers
SDASM.SC.10055.O/S
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Table of contents
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Theodore Gildred Special Collection
source:
Gildred, Theodore E.
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10055.O/S
Physical Description:
0.5 Cubic Feet
One Box
Date (inclusive): 1900-1967
Abstract: Theodore Gildred (1900-1967) was born on May 12, 1900, in Rochester, New York. His parents moved to South America in 1905,
and he was educated in Argentina and Ecuador. Theodore Gildred’s collection primarily consists of documents relating to his
Ecuador Goodwill Flight of March 1931.
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
[Item], [Filing Unit], [Series Title], [Subgroups], [Record Group Title and Number], [Repository “San Diego Air & Space Museum
Library & Archives”]
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The materials in this collection were donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The collection has been processed and is
open for research with no restrictions.
Theodore Gildred’s collection primarily consists of documents relating to his Ecuador Goodwill Flight of March 1931. Included
in the collection are telegrams, personal correspondence, pilot book logs and flight notes, drawings, newspaper articles in
Spanish and English, and several maps.
There are 54 original English cablegrams + 1 copy, 1931.
•Note: Some of the photographs in this collection are present in the Papers of Theodore E. Gildred Special Collection.
•Note: Theodore Gildred is sometimes referred to as Theodore Gildred Sr., though this was not his legal name.
Special Collection SDASM, Library Archives, Gildred, Theodore E.
Secondary Sources:
SDASM A/V Archives, Audio Visual, F-0238, “Ecuador Flight: Spirit of Goodwill,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLo7v4l2toQ
Theodore Gildred (1900-1967) was born on May 12, 1900, in Rochester, New York. His parents moved to South America in 1905,
and he was educated in Argentina and Ecuador. He entered New York University in 1915 and graduated as a civil engineer in
1918. He then began his engineering career with the job of surveying Lake Tahoe to establish the permanent water levels of
the lake. He later returned to Ecuador to work with his brothers.
In 1925 Theodore and his brother, Phil Gildred, came to San Diego, California, where they began building the Fox Theater in
1927. While in San Diego, Theodore began flying in a Travelair biplane at Dutch Flats with Doug Kelly, a pioneer San Diego
aviator. Theodore bought a Stimson monoplane in 1929 and, accompanied by Doug Kelly, flew to New York. Then in 1931, he acquired
a Wright R5 Whirlwind-powered Ryan Brougham monoplane from Mahoney Ryan Aircraft Corporation and embarked on a 4,200 mile
goodwill flight to Quito, Ecuador. He was given a warm welcome upon landing in Quito and commemorated with the Ecuadorian
Medal of Honor by the President of Ecuador. After his historic flight, he donated his aircraft, “Ecuador,” to the people of
Ecuador as a goodwill gesture to help the growth of aviation in that country.
After returning to San Diego, he married Maxine Edmonds and moved to Mexico City in 1934 with his family. In the period between
1937 and 1965 he worked on the development of Lindavista, one of the largest subdivisions north of Mexico City, in association
with Ign. Pascual Ortiz Rubio, ex-president of Mexico. During the 1940s and 1950s, Gildred also developed one of the largest
chains of movie theaters in Mexico with Gen. Abelardo Rodriguez, who had also been one of Mexico’s presidents.
Gildred died in June 1967, in San Diego. Prior to his death, he established the Gildred Foundation, which has made major contributions
in the medical research field to the San Diego Air & Space Museum (then the San Diego Aero-Space Museum), the Scripps Clinic
and Research Foundation, Salk Institute, and University of California, San Diego.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Ecuador
Ryan B-5 Brougham
Gildred Foundation
Gildred, Theodore E.
Theodore , Gildred