Kruska (George) Papers, 1944-2006

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Summary

Title:
George Kruska papers
Dates:
1944-2006
Creators:
Kruska, George, 1920-2001
Abstract:
Papers belonging to George Kruska, American aviation pioneer and longtime employee of Hughes Aircraft Company.
Extent:
1.38 Linear Feet (3 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. George Kruska papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection mostly consists of photographs and printed matter related to George Kruska and his career at Hughes Aircraft Company. There are also some photographs and printed matter dealing with Margaret Marie Lobnitz, the executive secretary for the Missile Systems Group at Hughes. Box 1 includes two books related to Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose"; photocopies of newspaper clippings, memoranda, and newsletters related to "Spruce Goose"; history of the Hughes plant in Culver City, California; photographs of "Spruce Goose"; and photographs of Howard Hughes and various projects at Hughes Tool Company, Aircraft Division. Also, found in the Howard Hughes folder are images of the Culver City, California site and production facility. At the end of the box, there are assorted images of the Surveyor 1 collected by Lobnitz. In Box 2, there is a folder consisting of miscellaneous photographs. The images in this folder include Evergreen Air Center, military aircraft, helicopters, and production facilities from 1956 through 1987. There are also photographs of the Hughes XH-17 Flying Crane. Unfortunately, the helicopter never went into production because it was too cumbersome. There is also a photocopy of a report regarding the Hughes XF-11 and a scrapbook documenting Kruska's life with correspondence, photographs, and printed matter. The final two items in Box 2 include a presentation by Kruska at McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company in 1992 and a VHS entitled Video of the Disassembly of the Hughes Flying Boat, 1998. Box 3 contains a book entitled Empire: The Life, Legend and Madness of Howard Hughes by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele. The oversize folder includes six items: an aerial photograph of Culver City, California; Howard Hughes in an aircraft; Hughes TH-55; Rob F. Miller?; Phoenix missile mock-up; and an image of jets.

Biographical / historical:

George Kruska (1920-2001) was an American aviation pioneer. He was an elite member of Howard Hughes' personal flight crew. He spent 35 years at Hughes Aircraft Company where he was involved with HK-1 Flying Boat, XH-17 Flying Crane, XV-9A Hot Cycle Research Aircraft, and many other projects. After he retired from McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company, he joined the Evergreen Organization as Vice President of Engineering and Special Projects. He passed away at the age of 80 in 2001, in Los Angeles, California.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Denny Kruska and Lynda Kruska Healy, March 2011.
Processing information:

Gina C Giang processed the collection in 2011. In May 2025, Brooke M. Black created a finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged alphabetically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Brooke M. Black
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2025-06-20 09:03:27 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. George Kruska papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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