The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Roger E. Bilstein Personal Papers
SDASM.SC.10227
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
2019
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: Roger E. Bilstein Personal Papers
creator:
Bilstein , Roger E.
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10227
Physical Description:
2.5 Cubic Feet
The collection contains primarily photographs of a wide range of aircraft, locations, and people; there are also papers authored
by Dr. Bilstein and others on aviation history; finally, there are audio cassette tapes of interviews with aviation-related
people, including Werner von Braun. The folders are in the order developed by Dr. Bilstein.
The collection consists of five (5) archival flip-top boxes, four measure 7” x 12-1/2” x 10-1/2”, and one measures 5” x 12-1/2”
x 10-1/2”.
The collection consists of five (5) archival flip-top boxes, four measure 7” x 12-1/2” x 10-1/2”, and one measures 5” x 12-1/2”
x 10-1/2”.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: The collection contains primarily photographs of a wide range of aircraft, locations, and people; there are also papers authored
by Dr. Bilstein and others on aviation history; finally, there are audio cassette tapes of interviews with aviation-related
people, including Werner von Braun. The folders are in the order developed by Dr. Bilstein.
Physical Description: The collection consists of five (5) archival flip-top boxes, four measure 7” x 12-1/2” x 10-1/2”, and one measures 5” x 12-1/2”
x 10-1/2”.
Biographical / Historical
Roger E. Bilstein was born in 1937 in Hyannis, Nebraska to Richard and Opal (Gubser) Bilstein. He attended Doane College,
a small liberal arts school in the eastern part of the state. He participated in American University’s Washington Semester
Program, specializing in political science and foreign policy, and received the B.A. in European history from Doane in 1959.
At Ohio State University, he took an M.A. in United States History in 1960, and completed his Ph.D. in 1965, specializing
in Twentieth Century American History and International Relations. As a graduate student, he was named as Mershon Fellow in
National Security Policy Studies. His doctoral dissertation, on the evolution and impact of American aviation technology during
the 1920s, established a theme of future writing and research. In 1964, he married Linda Zufall; their family includes two
children and one grandchild.
Dr. Bilstein taught at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater (1965-1972) and became a co-founder of the American Studies
Program there. On leave during 1970-72, he served as Principal Investigator for the NASA Saturn Launch Vehicle History Project
at Marshall Space Flight Center. From 1972-74, he held a joint appointment with the Institute of Aviation and the Department
of History at the University of Illinois-Urbana. In 1974, the University of Houston organized the Clear Lake complex as a
suburban, upper-division campus that enrolled only juniors, seniors, and graduate students at the M.A. level. Dr. Bilstein
joined UH-Clear Lake as a member of the Charter Faculty in the summer of 1974. He taught undergraduate courses on American
history since 1919, history of technology, warfare and international relations, and aerospace history. Graduate seminars
focused on sequential decades of American history from the 1920s to the present, as well as seminars on World War II, aerospace
technology and culture, the modern west, and other subjects.
He retired from Clear Lake in 2000 as Professor of History-Emeritus, and continues to research and write at his home in the
Hill Country west of Austin, Texas. He also lectures on aviation history and serves as a consultant for museums and historical
exhibits. Professional activities have included dozens of conference papers in the U.S. and in Europe, including the former
Soviet Union, the Deutsches Museum, the Swiss Transport Museum, the Rolls-Royce Trust, and others; numerous papers and book
chapters in both American and foreign publications; and numerous entries in encyclopedias and reference works like Encarta
/ Microsoft and the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Other activities include work as a museum consultant as well as memberships on editorial advisory boards such as the Smithsonian’s
Air and Space Magazine, service on the USAF Museum advisory board, and similar roles. Dr. Bilstein has been the recipient
of various grants and awards, including regional awards from the Aviation and Space Writers Association, and national recognition
for historical research from groups such as the National Space Club, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics,
the American Historical Association, and the Rotary National Stellar Awards Committee. He was appointed as the Charles Lindbergh
Professor of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian (1992-93), and was visiting Professor of
History at the Air War College, U.S. Air Force (1995-96). Dr. Bilstein is the author Stages to Saturn, the official NASA
history of the lunar launch vehicles (AIAA manuscript award, 1979; re-printed 1996); Flight in America: from the Wrights to
the Astronauts (now in its 3rd edition, 2001); The Enterprise of Flight: The American Aviation and Aerospace Industry (cited
by the American Library Association as an “outstanding academic book” in its 1996 edition; re-published in 2001); author or
co-author of five additional books and monographs. His most recent book is, Testing Aircraft, Exploring Space: An Illustrated
History of NACA and NASA (2003).
Conditions Governing Use
The collection is open to research. Some restrictions may apply.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains primarily photographs of a wide range of aircraft, locations, and people; there are also papers authored
by Dr. Bilstein and others on aviation history; finally, there are audio cassette tapes of interviews with aviation-related
people, including Werner von Braun. The folders are in the order developed by Dr. Bilstein.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Aero Spacelines Super Guppy
Aerial photography
Bilstein , Roger E.
SERIES I: Photographs
Physical Description: Many of these aircraft photographs are official issues, from both manufacturers and government agencies. The photographs date
from the 1920s, perhaps earlier, providing photographic documentation of early aircraft, aviators, both men and women, as
well as pilot training.
Folder 1 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt Airplane Interior (2 photographs)
Folder 2 -- Global Illustrations (5 photographs)
Folder 3 -- Douglas Aircraft (21 photographs, including two of Donald Douglas)
Folder 4 – NASA-Aero – Post War (2 photographs)
Folder 5 – Military, 1920s to 1930s (27 photographs)
Folder 6 -- USAF Historical Series (12 photographs)
Folder 7 – Civilian, 1920s to 1930s (32 photographs, including several of Wiley Post)
Folder 8 – Commercial, 1920s to 1930s (37 photographs)
Folder 9 -- Boeing, 1920s to 1930s (2 photographs)
Folder 10 -- Randolph Field, Texas (27 photographs)
Folder 11 -- General Aviation, 1920s to 1930s (4 photographs)
Folder 12 -- Helicopters (31 photographs)
Folder 13 -- Bell Helicopters (29 photographs)
Folder 14 -- Post-War Military (Folder #1 of 2) (68 photographs, includes written background information on many)
Folder 15 – Post-war Military (Folder #2 of 2) (56 photographs, includes written background information on many)
Folder 16 -- Blue Angels (5 photographs)
Folder 1 -- Post War Carriers (3 photographs)
Folder 2 -- Post War- Military - General (2 photographs)
Folder 3 -- Post War EDO (10 photographs)
Folder 4 -- Goodyear (5 photographs, with printed material)
Folder 5 -- Post War -- General Aviation – Aerocommander & Gulfstream (30 photographs)
Folder 6 -- Post War – Lockheed (28 photographs, with printed material)
Folder 7 -- Post War-- General Aviation (3 photographs)
Folder 8 -- Post War – General Aviation -- Cessna (7 photographs)
Folder 9 -- Post War – McDonnell Douglas (51 photographs)
Folder 10 -- Post War – Boeing (1 photographs)
Folder 11 – Project ORBIS (8 photographs)
Folder 12 -- Houston (3 photographs)
Folder 13 -- Berlin Airlift (7 photographs)
Folder 14 -- General Aviation – Fairchild (11 photographs)
Folder 15 -- Beechcraft (30 photographs)
Folder 16 -- Helicopters (8 photographs)
Folder 17 -- Delta Airlines (12 photographs)
Folder 18 -- Piper Aircraft (2 photographs)
Folder 19 -- Edward P. Warner Award (3 photographs)
Folder 20 -- NASA Aircraft (3 photographs)
Folder 21 -- United Airlines Flight Lab (No original photographs – printed report on flying laboratory)
Folder 22 -- Historic United Airlines Stewardess Photographs (11 photographs)
Folder 23 -- Stills from Motion Picture "Wings" (19 photographs)
Folder 24 -- Miscellaneous Aircraft Photos (51 photographs, many historic photographs)
Folder 1 -- Texas Aviation (10 photographs)
Folder 2 -- Pan American Airlines (5 photographs)
Folder 3 -- Air Lift Aircraft (6 photographs)
Folder 4 -- Twayne Collection (5 original photographs, copies of photographs, printed material, brochures)
Folder 5 -- World War II Aircraft and Personnel (61 photographs)
Folder 6 -- American Airlines, 1920s to 1930s (13 photographs)
Folder 7 -- American Aircraft / Aerospace Industry (18 photographs)
Folder 8 -- Aircraft Industry (24 photographs)
Folder 9 -- Boeing Aircraft (6 photographs)
Folder 10 -- Aviation Social History (46 photographs, includes a number of early women in aviation photographs)
Folder 11 -- American Airlines History (15 photographs)
Folder 12 -- Post War Commercial (78 photographs)
Folder 13 -- Post War Civil Aviation (51 photographs)
Folder 14 -- Post War Airlines – TWA (5 photographs, plus brochure)
Folder 15 -- Flight in America - Miscellaneous (16 photographs)
Folder 16 -- Time – Distance (3 photographs)
Folder 17 -- Commercial, 1920 to 1930s (10 photographs)
Folder 1 -- Guppy History (95 photographs)
Folder 2 -- Miscellaneous (78 photographs)
Folder 3 -- CONOCO -- Post War General Aviation: Article on aircraft history.
Folder 4 -- Post War General Aviation - Mooney Aircraft: Brochures and documents on Mooney Aviation history.
Folder 5 -- Federal Express: Press releases and documents on Federal Express' history.
Folder 6 -- Interview with Ralph Harmon
Folder 7 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #1 of 7
Physical Description: "The Blimp Base," John W. Mecom; "The Learstar," Matthew E. Rodina, Jr., 1996; Interview with Arthur E. Raymond, Engineer
of the DC Series, 1964; "Ellington Field: a Short History, 1917-1963," Erik Carlson, NASA/CR-1999-208921, February 1999; "Commuting
in the Modern Manner: The Grumman "Goose" Amphibian," May 23, 1989; "Biographical Sketch of Carl Squier, Lockheed Aircraft
Company," John B. Rae, Oral History Program, Claremont Graduate School, 1962.
Folder 8 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #2 of 7):
Physical Description: "The Story of North American Aviation, Inc.," John L. Atwood, Oral History Program, Claremont Graduate School, 1964; "History
of Aviation and Cosmonautics, Vol. I," N. D. Anoshehenko, NASA, November 1967; "An Appreciation of the Social, Economic and
Political Issues of General Aviation, Frank Kingston Smith, FAA, GA-300-133, June 1977; "Soviet Aeronautical Engineering,"
author unknown, Air Force Systems Command, FTD-HT-23-21-71, 1971.
Folder 9 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #3 of 7):
Physical Description: "Operation Ball: USAAF Operations in Sweden, 1944-45," Air Enthusiast 12, 1980; "BOAC Flying Boats at War," Air Enthusiast
43, 1991; (first words of title missing) “... by 'Scrutator' to Sweden," Air Enthusiast 5, 1976; "Air Traffic Control," IBM
Federal Systems Center; "Aerospace Bibliography 7th Edition," NASA, 1982; "Civil Aviation Statistics of the World 1988," International
Civil Aviation Organization, #9180/14.
Folder 10 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #4 of 7):
Physical Description: "History of Coast Guard Aviation," Dr. Robert L. Scheina, Commandant's Bulletin 21-86, 1985; "Turbine-Engined Fleets of
the World's Airlines, 1995 Survey," Exxon; "Turbine-Engined Fleets of the World's Airlines, 1996 Survey," Exxon; United States
Women in Aviation, 1930-1939," Claudia M. Oakes, Smithsonian Studies in Air & Space #6, 1985.
Folder 1 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #5 of 7): Rolls Royce Public Relations Kit, includes handwritten notes.
Folder 2 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #6 of 7):
Physical Description: "American Aviation Technology: An International Heritage," Roger E. Bilstein (2 copies); "Airlift and Airborne Operations
in World War II," Roger E. Bilstein, Air Force History and Museums Programs, 1998 (signed copy); "Internal Combustion Engines
and Their Fuel: a Preliminary Exploration of Technological Interplay," William David Compton, reprint from History of Technology,
1982; "It's Easy to Fly," Standard Oil of New York, 1929; "F-16: Sale of the Century," David Boulton, WGBH TV, 1979.
Folder 3 -- Documents - Aviation History (Folder #7 of 7):
Physical Description: "The Wright Brothers," C. H. Gibbs-Smith, Science Museum London, 1963; "The Wright Brothers and Their Development of the
Airplane," Barbara Craig, 1963; "Wright Brothers National Memorial North Carolina," Omega G. East, 1963; "Early Flight: from
Dream to Reality," National Air and Space Museum Gallery Guide, 1980; "The Magnificent Distances: Early Aviation in British
Columbia 1910-1940."
Folder 4 -- Book: A book in a foreign language; appears to be a training manual of some sort.
Folder 5 -- Book: The Boeing Logbook, 1916-1991.
Folder 6 -- Audio Cassette Tapes: Michael Collins Interview, undated; Ralph Harmon Interview, undated; Nathaniel Warner Interview,
1971; Werner von Braun Interview, 1971 (Tapes A and B).
