Sooners on the WingBy PEGGY CLAY

MARCH, 1941

From Research Laboratories to the Fighting Front,

0. U. Alumni Are Doing All Kinds of Jobs in Aviation

HUMMING propellors are a fa-miliar harmony to hundreds of Sooneralumni who fit into federal and commercial flying circles like so many bees in ahive .

Into almost every phase of aeronautics,from the mechanical department of majoraircraft factories to the cockpits of com-mercial airliners, go graduates of the Uni-versity and, more particularly, of the Col-lege of Engineering .Some of them long ago left the ranks

of ordinary pilots and became outstandingpersonalities in the field of aviation . Con-sider, for instance, Bennett Griffin, 17ba,who in January was given supervision ofall instrument equipment for the CivilAeronautics Administration .Formerly an Oklahoma City pilot, Mr.

Griffin first gained public acclaim whenhe teamed with Jimmie Mattern in a dar-ing but unsuccessful attempt to circle theglobe. For some time he had charge offederal instrument landing research, andonly recently he returned from Havana,Cuba, where he flew as a representative ofthe CAA administrator.His new CAA position in Houston,

Texas, places him at the head of a hugeinstrument flying school, a new federalaviation project .One former Sooner has been flying with

Britain's air force . He is Bob Moore, '39,former Sooner wrestler, whose censoredletters back home reveal he is in the thickof things in England.Add to the list of colorful personalities

of the air, Grace Stevenson, '39journ, who

University students like RhodaSpruce, shown here with L. E.Peaster, flight instructor, are trainingfor aviation service through the pro-gram of the Civilian Pilot TrainingCorps. At the bottom of the page area group of former Sooner studentswho graduated last month from thearmy's advanced air training school atKelly Field, Texas. Left to right, Rob-ert D. Coggeshall, Jay S. Lee, J. E.Miles, Jr ., Russell D. Hale, Noel R.Strader, J. P. Rousek, Robert E. Breidenthal, Clarence A. Martin, Jr ., and

Martin B. Schofzeld, Jr.

in the two years since her graduationfrom the University has achieved a po-sition seldom reached by women pilots .After completing her training at SpartanSchool of Aeronautics in Tulsa, MissStevenson went to Casper, Wyoming,where she is now an instructor with theCivil Aeronautics Administration .Only 23 years old, the young pilot's

present occupation is almost contradictoryto her college education and professionaltraining . First she attended LindenwoodSchool for Girls, an experience which initself would be expected to turn her at-tention toward almost anything but gov-ernment aviation . Later, at the Univer-sity, she majored in journalism andworked in the advertising department ofthe Oklahoma Daily, student newspaper.Throughout her college work, however,

she managed to gain many hours of oc-casional flying instruction and now is aninstructor for both light and heavy planes,and has ground school ratings in naviga-tion, meteorology and civil air regulations .

It's a far cry from the football gridironto the flying field, but Lt. Lynn Mapes,'26ba, former Sooner gridman, donned ahelmet of a different sort after his gradu-ation from the University, and now super-vises a government flying school in Cali-fornia .

Louis Gittings, '39eng, graduated froma Navy air training school in October andwas commissioned an ensign and ap-pointed an instructor for navy aviationcadets at Pensacola, Florida.

Sooner alumni have also gone far inthe field of commercial aviation, wherethe University is represented by such well-known pilots as Leland Jamieson, '23,and his younger brother, Warren Jamie-son, '27, both employed by the EasternAir Transport Company over the routefrom Florida to St. Louis, Missouri . Le

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Sooners on the Wing(CONTINUED PROM PAGE 13)

land Jalnieson has further broadened thescope of his aeronautic service by writingnumerous fiction stories, based upon hisknowledge of aviation, for the SaturdayEvening Post .

Also engaged in commercial flying isCarl Ballard, '40, who received his pri-mary aviation instruction under the Civi-lian Pilot Training program at the Uni-versity. Later he completed his secondarytraining, received a commercial license,and is now employed as a pilot for thePan-American Airlines .Many alumni own and operate their

own planes, either for pleasure or for bus-iness convenience . Lloyd Noble, '21, ofArdmore, president of the UniversityBoard of Regents, uses his plane for allmajor trips in connection with his far-flung drilling interests and his frequentvisits to the University . Tom Gilcrease,'4l, prefers the air routes for most of hiswork with the Gilcrease Oil Company inSan Antonio, Texas, and Bud Gentry, '15ba, of Enid, well-known for his work asfounder of the Oklahoma State HighwayPatrol, is a first-class pilot himself.

Varied from the routine tasks of theaverage pilot are the duties of Arch M.Wallace, '21eng, '3lms, who, as groundschool inspector for the CAA in Oklaho-ma City, each month makes inspectiontours to all governmental fields in Okla-homa and to some in Texas.

Gliders, rather than airplanes, com-mand the attention of L. D. Montgomery,'29ba, '30ms, research engineer in De-troit, Michigan for the General Motorslaboratory . He has made more than600 glider flights .Working at government flying fields

are Raymond F. Stevenson, '39eng, aero-nautical engineer in the United Statesarmy air corps at Wright Field, Dayton,Ohio ; George T. Chadwell, '38eng, sec-ond lieutenant in the air corps reserves ;Aaron Alexander, '40eng, chief engineerassigned to air base construction at Cor-pus Christi, Texas; and Philip B. Klein,'32eng, with the United States air corpsat Albrook Field, Panama Canal Zone .

In the business of actual aircraft manu-facturing are many graduates of the Col-lege of Engineering . Louis Surber, '40,is employed by the Douglass Aircraft Com-pany in California . Ralph L. Wassell,'34eng, is an engineering designer withthe Aviation Manufacturing Corporationat Williamsport, Pennsylvania . Also inPennsylvania is Howard S. Leeser, '40eng,employee of Curtis Aircraft Company.Harold L. Pietschker, '40, is employed byLockeed Aircraft Corporation in Burbank,California .While Sooner alumni continue to ad-

vance in aviation, the University of Okla-homa turns out young pilots from its ownCAA field as fast as they can be assimilated

in professional flying circles . During thepast semester forty students were enrolledin the primary training program, and four-teen were enrolled in the secondary, or ad-vanced, class.The program, supervised by the Burke

Aviation Service, employs equipmentwhich is the latest in model and design .Primary students use five 65-horsepowerTaylor Cubs, and in the secondary pro-gram the young pilots receive their in-struction in two 225-horsepower Waco bi-planes .For ground school classes at the Uni-

versity the United States army has furn-ished a full-sized disassembled plane, tobe studied for structure and design . Theplane is equipped with a Wright-Whirl-wind engine .Now in its second year, the University

CAA program has trained 130 per-sons in the primary division and 20 inthe secondary work . The first courseconsists of a minimum of thirty-five hours of flying time and seven-ty-two hours of class or ground work, in-cluding meteorology, aerial navigation andcivil air regulations . The advanced train-ing consists of forty-five hours of flyingtime in planes of at least 125 horsepowerand classroom instruction in aerodynamicsand structures, radio and celestial naviga-tion, and aeronautic power plants . In-struction on the proper care and storage ofplanes is provided at the University's fly-ing field northwest of Norman .

Directing the training program is R.V. James, '18eng, head of the departmentof mechanics in the College of Engineer-ing. L. H . Cherry, instructor in mechan-ical engineering, teaches courses in navi-gation ; C. J. Bollinger, associate profes-sor of geography, supervises classes inmeteorology; and L. A. Comp, '27eng,'35ms, assistant professor of mechanics,teaches aerodynamics and civil air regula-tions .Primary training is open to both men

and women students, and four womenwere enrolled in the course last semester .Advanced training in heavy ships, how-ever, is closed to co-eds .

Besides the government flying coursesin Norman, engineering students at theUniversity may enroll in numerous coursesin aeronautical engineering, planned in ac-cordance with a survey of major aircraftfactories regarding innovations in the aero-nautics curriculum . As approximately 65per cent of the engineers in aircraft workare interested primarily in design, draft-ing, tracing and blue-print work, the planof study has been changed to emphasizethese aspects of aviation . Special coursesare offered in aerodynamics, aircraft struc-tures and design, and stress analysis .

Approximately 50 per cent of the stu-dents who have completed the CAA pro-gram at the University have entered theUnited States Army Air Corps. Spartan,Randolph and Kelly fields are generouslypopulated with Sooner pilots .

SOONER MAGAZINE

More than sixty Sooner alumni havegraduated from the army aviation schoolsat Randolph Field, and Kelly Field, Tex-as, in the last two years .A class graduated last month from Kel-

ly Field, the advanced training school, in-cluded Robert E. Breidenthal, '40; Rob-ert D. Coggeshall, '39 ; Jay S. Lee, '40;Clarence A. Martin, Jr., '40; James E.Miles, Jr ., '39 ; Jay P. Rousek, '38; MartinB. Schofield, Jr ., '38, and Noel R. Strader,'40 .Now in the upper class at Kelly Field

are John T. Snyder, '40; James A. John-ston, '40 ; Hubert S. Judy, '40bus ; andJulian Jacobi, '40. The lower class at Kel-ly Field includes Edwin J . Angelo, '40journ; Harrison R. Christy, '35; Frank R.Crabtree, '39; Paul F. Hawkins, '39; Rob-ert R . Mason, '40 ; Andrew W. Salter, Jr.,'32 ; Joseph W. Scannell, '39; Kenneth M.Taylor, '40; and Isaac N. Taylor, '40eng .

Recent Sooner graduates from RandolphField include George T. Chadwell, '38eng; R. H. Anthis, '38 ; Raymond S. Morse,'37; Stuart M . Porter, '38bus ; EdwardF. Hubbard, '38bus ; Roderick N. Brown,'36; George H. Koehne, '38 ; Charles O.Peterson, '36; Walter L. Callahan, '39bus .Thomas C. Kelly, '39; Charles W. Himes,'38arch; M . E. Sims, '39 ; Duane J. Clap-ham, '38bus ; Robert H. Jones, '35 ; How-ard F. Hugos, '38 ; Richard R. Wilson,'39 ; Dorwood C. Stephens, '39 ; Robert J.Ahern, '38; Neal R. Day, '37 ; Marshall J.Anderson, '37 ; J . P. Gregg, '39; CharlesN. Breeding, '39 ; Charles M. Kirkland,'39 ; Frederick S. Harlow, '39; Harry L.Evans, '40 ; John W. Shamel, Jr ., '40 ;George V. Bell, '40; John W. Minor, Jr .,'40; Carl V. Ballard, Jr., '40ex; WendellJ. Kelley, '40 ; David L. Obert, '40; LewisD . Rice, '40; and F. R. Thompson, '40.

So numerous are the positions held bySooner pilots that a complete list of grad-uates employed in aeronautic activitywould be difficult to compile.Employed by the Spartan Aircraft Com-

pany in Tulsa are John F. Mason, '39eng,chief designer ; William Gordon Stuart,'39eng, stress analyst ; and William Ro-mine, '38eng, designer and drafter.

In the Stearman Aircraft Company inWichita, Kansas, are Wilfred A . Pearce,'37eng, and Gordon Steinhoff, '37eng,both in the stress analysis department .

Bell Aircraft Company, Buffalo, NewYork, employs Peter O. Tauson, '36ms,special design engineer, who designed thewind tunnel at the University of Oklaho-ma . In the Solar Aircraft Company, SanDiego, California, is Leonard B. Allen, '37eng, serving as chief engineer . John J.Jarrett, '40eng, works at detail design anddrafting for the Vega Airplane Companyin Burbank, California .With the Boeing Aircraft Company in

Seattle, Washington, are John W. Riley,'39eng, research engineer, and ClagettAnderson, '37eng, student engineer . Lock-heed Aircraft Company, Burbank, Cali-fornia, employs Jim B . Beach, '40eng, and

MARCH, 1941

Charles J. Liddell, '40eng, both engagedin drafting and designing special equip-ment .

In San Diego, California, with Con-solidated Aircraft Company, are Dan A.Redwine, '40eng, engineer in loft ; ElmerC. Wade, '40eng, drafter; Bob Kahn, '40eng, stress analyst ; and William A. Cleg-ern, '40eng, detail designer and drafter .Working for Curtiss-Wright Corpora-

tion in Robertson, Missouri, is LoganRoark, '37eng, layout and design engineersupervising empennage design . John Saka-ly, '40eng, is an engineer with an air-plane-parts company in southern Cali-fornia .Raymond Stevenson, '39eng, is a test en-

gineer for the United States Army atWright Field, Dayton, Ohio. Ralph L.Wassell, '34eng, is employed as an assist-ant depot engineer officer with the UnitedStates Army Air Corps.

In the United States Naval Air Corpsat Pensacola, Florida, is Delmar Duskin,'40eng . Medford Cashion, '39eng, is anaval pilot with the U. S. S . Colorado .Floyd W. Gooch, '40eng, is a pilot in theUnited States Naval Reserves .

Orville Rogers, Isaac Taylor, O. T. Mc-Call, Jr., and Ted H. Morgan, all of whomwere University students last year, are fol-lowing their CPT training with advancedflying . Charles Woodrow Himes, '38eng,is a second lieutenant with the UnitedStates Army Air Corps at Duncan Fieldin Texas.

Clifford Ivan Motley, '32eng, is em-ployed by the American Airlines in FortWorth, Texas. James G. Pipines, '39eng, isat Midland Park, New Jersey, where heis a test equipment designer for WrightAeronautical Corporation. In Ellet, Ohio,is Elgin Lowrance Shaw, '28eng, employeeof Goodyear Aircraft Corporation .The Glen L. Martin Airplane Factory

in Baltimore, Maryland, employs LeeShowen, '38eng . George Kent Stephenson,'40eng, is with the Wrght AeronauticalCorporation in Patterson, New Jersey .William A. Woods, '29eng, North Holly-wood, California, is a radio engineer forthe Hughes Aircraft Company.

Magazine Publicizes ArtistArt achievements of Edith Mahier, pro-

fessor of art in the University, are describ-ed in a feature article in the March issueof Holland's magazine, published in Dal-las, Texas, and circulated throughout theSouth.The article, written by Harold Rubin, a

student in the University School of journ-alism, appeared as one of the series of ar-ticles on southern personalities featuredby the magazine . The national recog-nition Miss Mahier has received for herwork in originating a new motif forwomen's clothing utilizing the culturaltradition of Southwestern Indians is de-scribed in the article .

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