In 1956, Coralie Hewitt Tillack began her 26-year employment with Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank, California. Starting as a telephone switchboard operator and later transferring to Field Operations, Coralie was captivated by the history of the first million-dollar airport constructed in the United States, and gathered material to write a column for the company newspaper. Over the years, Coralie accumulated a large collection of newspaper clippings, magazines, books, and photographs, along with her notes from personal interviews with many of the airport's longtime employees. In 1982, she retired to write her own story of the airport, and her manuscript, Once Upon an Airport, was copyrighted in June 1987. The collection documents her work in writing that history.

Born in Colorado on August 6, 1920, Coralie Hewitt came to California in 1939 after completing two years at Texas A & M University. Soon after her arrival in California, she enrolled in night school and graduated from Beverly Hills Secretarial College. In 1956, Coralie began her 26-year employment with Lockheed Air Terminal which is located in Burbank, California. Starting as a telephone switchboard operator and later transferring to Field Operations, Coralie was captivated by the history of the first million-dollar airport constructed in the United States, and she began gathering material to write a column for the company newspaper. Over the years, Coralie accumulated a large collection of newspaper clippings, magazines, books, and photographs, along with her notes from personal interviews with many of the airport's longtime employees. In 1982, she retired to write her own story of the airport, and her manuscript, Once Upon an Airport, was copyrighted in June 1987. Later that year, she generously donated her fine collection to the Urban Archives.

1.76 linear feet

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

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