Records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society, 1909-1911, 1946, 1959 and 1986
Overview
The Harvard Aeronautical Society was organized on November 11, 1909. The records document the activities of this society; documents dated later than 1920 are not records created by the Society, but instead recount the history of the organization.
Dates
- Creation: 1909-1911, 1946, 1959 and 1986
Creator
- Harvard Aeronautical Society (Organization)
Conditions on Use and Access
The records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society are open for research.
Extent
0.7 cubic feet (3 containers)The Records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society document its history and activities. The largest part of the collection documents the Harvard-Boston Aero Meets of 1910 and 1911. These records include programs, souvenirs, and photographs. Such records document not only the early history of the Harvard Aeronautical Society, but also document the early years of international aviation; many of the programs and souvenirs include biographies and photographs of early aviators and airplanes. Records also include general information about the group, such as newsclippings and pamphlets. Documents dated after 1920 are not records created by the Society, but instead recount the history of the organization.
History of the Harvard Aeronautical Society
The Harvard Aeronautical Society was organized on November 11, 1909. Membership was open to any present or former member of Harvard University. The Society began with 250 charter members; three months later they had an active membership of 360, including undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, and faculty. Abbott Lawrence Rotch was the founding president. In 1910, the Society incorporated and became officially affiliated with the Aero Club of North America. The Society was organized as an educational and scientific institution. It established a library, sponsored lectures, featured exhibits, and hosted both international and intercollegiate aviation and glider meets. Members built their own glider and bi-plane, the latter named Harvard I. In 1910 and 1911, the Society sponsored the Harvard-Boston Aero Meet (also known as the Harvard-Boston Aviation Meet); the third Harvard-Boston Aero Meet was held in 1912. The Society was especially active between 1909-1911 and 1919-1920.
An aviation club was revived at Harvard with the establishment of the Harvard Flying Club, an organization of Harvard undergraduates founded in March 1925. It is unclear whether or not the two organizations were related.
Acquisition Information
The Records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society were acquired through multiple donations:
- 1910 October 29, The Society
- 1942 March 17, Gratis
- 1943 March 12, Gratis
- 1972 July 19, Peter Wick, Houghton Library
- 1972 November, Dartmouth College Archives
- 1987 January, Crick Wight
- Accession number: 13272; 1996 February 29
Online access
Some items in this collection have been digitized and are available online. Links to online content accompany item descriptions.
Inventory update
This document last updated 2016 November 2.
Processing Information
The Records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society were first classified and described in the Harvard University Archives shelflist prior to 1980. In November 2007, Juliana Kuipers re-processed the material. Re-processing involved integrating and reorganizing the collection, re-housing materials in the appropriate containers, establishing a series hierarchy, and creating this inventory.
All call numbers were simplified. A list of obsolete call numbers is included in this inventory.
Creator
- Harvard Aeronautical Society (Organization)
- Title
- Harvard Aeronautical Society. Records of the Harvard Aeronautical Society : an inventory
- Author
- Harvard University Archives
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua06008
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository
Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.
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