112-556: The Ninety-Nines: International Organization of Women Pilots , also known as The 99s , is an international organization that provides networking, mentoring, and flight scholarship opportunities to recreational and professional female pilots. Founded in 1929, the Ninety-Nines has 153 chapters and 27 regional 'sections' across the globe as of 2022, including a 'virtual' chapter, Ambassador 99s, which meets online for those who are too busy or mobile to be in one region for long. Amelia Earhart
224-418: A marriage of convenience . Earhart had been engaged to Samuel Chapman, a chemical engineer from Boston but she broke off the engagement on November 23, 1928. Putnam, who was known as GP, was divorced in 1929 and sought out Earhart, proposing to her six times before she agreed to marry him. Earhart referred to her marriage as a "partnership" with "dual control"; in a letter to Putnam and hand-delivered to him on
336-552: A nurse's aide from the Red Cross , Earhart began working with the Voluntary Aid Detachment at Spadina Military Hospital , where her duties included food preparation for patients with special diets and handing out prescribed medication in the hospital's dispensary. There, Earhart heard stories from military pilots and developed an interest in flying. In 1918, when the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic reached Toronto, Earhart
448-760: A Digitization Suite in the Natural History Building in Washington, D.C. Macaw is an open-source metadata collection tool written by Joel Richard in the Digital Services Division. Macaw accomplishes 3 tasks in the scanning workflow: (1) import and manage images from input device (scanner or camera); (2) collect page-level metadata about physical aspects of scanned page; (3) post-processing and exporting digital book to other systems. The Libraries frequently creates exhibitions, often in collaboration with other organizations and scholars within and outside
560-505: A Lockheed 5C Vega. Although many aviators had attempted this transoceanic route, notably by the unfortunate participants in the 1927 Dole Air Race that had reversed the route, Earhart's flight had been mainly routine with no mechanical breakdowns. In her final hours, she relaxed and listened to "the broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera from New York". On April 19, 1935, using her Lockheed Vega aircraft that she had named "old Bessie,
672-497: A campaign that included publishing a book she wrote, a series of new lecture tours, and using pictures of her in media endorsements for products including luggage. A Lucky Strike cigarettes endorsement caused McCall's magazine to retract their offer. The money Earhart made from Lucky Strike had been intended to support Richard Evelyn Byrd 's imminent expedition to the South Pole. The marketing campaign by both Earhart and Putnam
784-534: A celebrity after becoming the first female passenger to cross the Atlantic by airplane. In 1932, Earhart became the first woman to make a nonstop, solo, transatlantic flight and was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross . In 1935, Earhart became a visiting faculty member of Purdue University as an advisor in aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to female students. She
896-492: A chemical laboratory, a gallery of art, lecture rooms, and a library. The Smithsonian Libraries system as it exists today was not established until 1968, when Secretary S. Dillon Ripley realized that the existing library organization was greatly in need of an overhaul. He created a new position, Director of the Smithsonian Institution Libraries, and hired Russell Shank to fill the role. Shank reorganized
1008-706: A conservation lab." The Smithsonian Libraries and Smithsonian Institution Archives merged in December 2020. The collections held by the Libraries reflect the various disciplines and scholarly pursuits of the curators and researchers of the Smithsonian Institution. Strengths in the collections include the following areas: The Smithsonian Libraries also holds the United States ' largest trade literature collection, which includes nearly commercial catalogs dating from
1120-526: A copy of the Telegraph-Journal , given to her by journalist Stuart Trueman to confirm the date of the flight. She intended to fly to Paris in her single engine Lockheed Vega 5B to emulate Charles Lindbergh's solo flight five years earlier. Her technical advisor for the flight was the Norwegian-American aviator Bernt Balchen , who helped prepare her aircraft and played the role of "decoy" for
1232-602: A crucial resource for research and education communities at the Smithsonian, within the United States, and around the world. The original library was founded by an Act of Congress on August 10, 1846, when the Smithsonian Institution was named a trust instrumentality of the United States. The Act created a Board of Regents for the Institution, and called for a building to house a museum with geological and mineralogical cabinets,
SECTION 10
#17328484528561344-547: A flight but after looking at the rickety "flivver", Amelia promptly asked if they could go back to the merry-go-round. She later described the biplane as "a thing of rusty wire and wood and not at all interesting". Sisters Amelia and Grace—who from her teenage years went by her middle name Muriel—Earhart remained with their grandparents in Atchison while their parents moved into new, smaller quarters in Des Moines. During this period,
1456-587: A future career; she kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about successful women in male-dominated careers, including film direction and production, law, advertising, management, and mechanical engineering. She began junior college at Ogontz School in Rydal, Pennsylvania , but did not complete her program. During Christmas vacation in 1917, Earhart visited her sister in Toronto , Canada, where she saw wounded soldiers returning from World War I . After receiving training as
1568-581: A growth in the number of Smithsonian Libraries branches, brought about by a range of donations to the Institution. In 1976, ten thousand rare scientific books and manuscripts were gifted to the Smithsonian by the Burndy Library , prompting the creation of the Dibner Library of the History of Science and Technology under the Smithsonian umbrella. Several years later, large donations of artifact collections led to
1680-461: A leading resident of the town. Earhart was the second child of the marriage after a stillbirth in August 1896. She was of part- German descent; Alfred Otis had not initially favored the marriage and was not satisfied with Edwin's progress as a lawyer. According to family custom, Amelia Earhart was named after her two grandmothers Amelia Josephine Harres and Mary Wells Patton. From an early age, Amelia
1792-464: A navigation fix that alarmed Putnam, because Manning made a minor navigational error that put them in the wrong state; they were flying close to the state line, but Putnam was still concerned. Sometime later, Putnam and Mantz arranged a night flight to test Manning's navigational skill. Under poor navigational conditions, Manning's position was off by 20 miles (32 km). Elgen M. and Marie K. Long considered Manning's performance reasonable, because it
1904-458: A new leather flying coat. Due to the newness of the coat, she was subjected to teasing, so she aged it by sleeping in it and staining it with aircraft oil. On October 22, 1922, Earhart flew the Airster to an altitude of 14,000 feet (4,300 m), setting a world record for female pilots. On May 16, 1923, Earhart became the 16th woman in the United States to be issued a pilot's license (# 6017 ) by
2016-629: A pivotal time in U.S. History leading up to the Kennedy Administration and boom of the United States Aerospace Industry . On July 26, 1963, Thompson, along with five other female aviators (including charter member and former Ninety-Nines International President, Blanche Noyes ) accompanied President John F. Kennedy as he personally honored aviatrixes during the Amelia Earhart First Day Cover presentation at
2128-470: A rousing welcome. She had changed aircraft and flew an Avro Avian 594 Avian III, SN: R3/AV/101 that was owned by Irish aviator Lady Mary Heath , the first woman to hold a commercial flying licence in Britain. Earhart later acquired the aircraft and had it shipped to the United States. When Stultz, Gordon, and Earhart returned to the United States on July 6, they were greeted with a ticker-tape parade along
2240-526: A sleek, purposeful, but feminine "A.E.", the familiar name she used with family and friends. Celebrity endorsements helped Earhart finance her flying. Earhart accepted a position as associate editor at Cosmopolitan and used it to campaign for greater public acceptance of aviation, especially focusing on the role of women entering the field. In 1929, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) appointed Earhart and Margaret Bartlett Thornton to promote air travel, particularly for women, and Earhart helped set up
2352-401: A student permit but did not further pursue her plans to learn to fly. Earhart and Roosevelt frequently communicated with each other. Another flyer, Jacqueline Cochran , who was said to be Earhart's rival, also became her confidante during this period. On January 11, 1935, Earhart became the first aviator to fly solo from Honolulu , Hawaii, to Oakland , California. This time, Earhart used
SECTION 20
#17328484528562464-556: A tenure as Archivist which included the 1973 establishment of an oral history program, and the 1976 relocation of the Archives to the Arts and Industries Building . Most of the Smithsonian museums increased acquisitions and conducted surveys during this period; new guides were issued 1971 and 1978. In 1981, William A. Deiss became Acting Archivist, upon Lytle's departure to head up the Smithsonian's computer services. 1983 saw yet another new guide to
2576-594: A tractor and flipped over, forcing her out of the race. At Cleveland, Earhart was placed third in the heavy division. In 1930, Earhart became an official of the National Aeronautic Association , and in this role, she promoted the establishment of separate women's records and was instrumental in persuading the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) to accept a similar international standard. On April 8, 1931, Earhart set
2688-604: A transcontinental trip from California with stops throughout the western United States and northward to Banff, Alberta , Canada. Their journey ended in Boston , Massachusetts , where Earhart underwent another, more-successful sinus operation. After recuperation, she returned to Columbia University for several months but was forced to abandon her studies and any further plans for enrolling at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), because her mother could no longer afford
2800-531: A world altitude record of 18,415 feet (5,613 m) flying a Pitcairn PCA-2 autogyro she borrowed from the Beech-Nut Chewing Gum company. During this period, Earhart became involved with Ninety-Nines , an organization of female pilots providing moral support and advancing the cause of women in aviation. In 1929, following the Women's Air Derby, Earhart called a meeting of female pilots. She suggested
2912-422: A yellow Kissel Gold Bug "Speedster", a two-seat automobile, and named it "Yellow Peril". Simultaneously, pain from Earhart's old sinus problem worsened, and in early 1924, she was hospitalized for another sinus operation, which was again unsuccessful. She tried a number of ventures that included setting up a photography company. Following her parents' divorce in 1924, Earhart drove her mother in "Yellow Peril" on
3024-630: A young woman friend visited an air fair held in conjunction with the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto; she said: "The interest, aroused in me, in Toronto, led me to all the air circuses in the vicinity." One of the highlights of the day was a flying exhibition put on by a World War I ace . The pilot saw Earhart and her friend, who were watching from an isolated clearing, and dived at them. "I am sure he said to himself, 'Watch me make them scamper,' " she said. Earhart stood her ground as
3136-748: Is a founding member and is the headquarters for the Biodiversity Heritage Library . Digitized books are provided through the Biodiversity Heritage Library and indexed in both the Smithsonian's Collections Search and through the Digital Public Library of America. Their mass digitization efforts operation partners with the Internet Archive . In-house digitization locations include an Imaging Center in Landover, Maryland, and
3248-533: Is a progressive milestone scholarship of up to $ 6,000 to assist a student pilot Ninety-Nine in completing her Private Pilot training. In addition to the AEMSF program, many individual chapters of the Ninety-Nines give their own flight scholarships to benefit local woman aviators. Aspiring professional or new commercial pilots can find career guidance and mentorship in the Ninety-Nines "Professional Pilot Leadership Initiative" program. The Ninety-Nines are owner-custodians of
3360-706: Is also located at the National Museum of Natural History. Additionally, the National Air and Space Museum Library features special collections housed in both the Dewitt Clinton Ramsey Room and the Aerospace Legacy Materials Collection Gift Collection (ALM Collection). Located in the National Air and Space Museum's Mall location, the Dewitt Clinton Ramsey Room houses rare books, serials, oral histories, vertical files, and
3472-406: Is home to the 99s Museum of Women Pilots . Museum artifacts include historical papers, personal items, video and oral histories, photos, memorabilia and other notable artifacts from famed woman aviators from around the globe. The museum collection and exhibits provide insight into the role women pilots played in the development of aviation and their historical footprint. Ninety-Nines members support
Ninety-Nines - Misplaced Pages Continue
3584-479: Is part of the larger Technical Services Division. It offers services on a fee basis to other archives and repositories, including offsite storage at the Boyers, Pennsylvania facility. The Smithsonian Center for Archives Conservation was created with initial funding of $ 100,000, provided by Eleanor McMillan, which supported the salary of a paper conservator. The Institutional History Division has authored an online history of
3696-520: Is ranked ninth on Flying 's list of the 51 Heroes of Aviation. Amelia Mary Earhart was born on July 24, 1897, in Atchison, Kansas , as the daughter of Samuel "Edwin" Stanton Earhart (1867–1930) and Amelia "Amy" ( née Otis ; 1869–1962). Amelia was born in the home of her maternal grandfather Alfred Gideon Otis (1827–1912), who was a former judge in Kansas, the president of Atchison Savings Bank, and
3808-543: The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Throughout the early 1920s, following a disastrous investment in a failed gypsum mine, Amelia Earhart's inheritance from her grandmother, which her mother was now administering, steadily diminished until it was exhausted. Consequently, with no immediate prospect of recouping her investment in flying, Earhart sold the Canary and a second Kinner and bought
3920-625: The Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas . The birthplace and early childhood home of early aviator Amelia Earhart has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been returned to its turn-of-the-century condition by the "99s"; it features an abundance of personal and family memorabilia. Their international headquarters building on Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City , Oklahoma ,
4032-574: The Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Digital Public Library of America . Formerly two separate units within the Smithsonian, the Smithsonian Libraries and Smithsonian Institution Archives merged in 2020. The Smithsonian Libraries promotes new ideas through knowledge sharing. We play a dynamic role in advancing scientific and cultural understanding and in preserving America's heritage. Our expert staff and extensive collections are
4144-702: The Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan, followed by a reception with President Calvin Coolidge at the White House . Earhart became famous, the press dubbed her "Lady Lindy", because of her physical resemblance to the famous male aviator Charles Lindbergh and "Queen of the Air". Immediately after her return to the United States, Earhart undertook an exhausting lecture tour in 1928 and 1929. Putnam had undertaken to heavily promote Earhart in
4256-641: The Hirshhorn Museum Library Audio Archive , Postal Files at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum Library , the E. F. Caldwell & Co. Collection of lighting fixtures at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum Library , and Art & Artists Files . Smithsonian Research Online provides a database of citations and full texts of publications by Smithsonian scholars and scientists. The Smithsonian Libraries
4368-573: The Ludington Airline , the first regional shuttle service between New York and Washington, D.C. Earhart was appointed Vice President of National Airways, which operated Boston-Maine Airways and several other airlines in the northeastern US, and by 1940 had become Northeast Airlines . In 1934, Earhart interceded on behalf of Isabel Ebel , who had helped Earhart in 1932, to be accepted as the first woman student of aeronautical engineering at New York University (NYU). In August 1928, Earhart became
4480-765: The White House . In addition to founding the Shenandoah Valley Chapter, Thompson served as International Historian of the Ninety-Nines for many years, and was Secretary of the International Women's Air and Space Museum , and a Smithsonian archivist. For nearly 65 years, Virginia Thompson was an active member of The Ninety-Nines until her passing in 2019. The Ninety-Nines Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund (AEMSF) program assists in funding flight training, technical training or academics for both recreational and career track women pilots by awarding scholarships to qualified members. The AEMSF "First Wings" award
4592-444: The bloomers they wore, and although Amelia liked the freedom of movement they provided, she was sensitive to the fact the neighborhood's girls wore dresses. The Earhart children seemed to have a spirit of adventure and would set off daily to explore their neighborhood. As a child, Amelia Earhart spent hours playing with sister Pidge, climbing trees, hunting rats with a rifle, and sledding downhill. Some biographers have characterized
Ninety-Nines - Misplaced Pages Continue
4704-684: The Archives as a facility for historical research in American Science by making the Archives' resources more readily accessible to historians through better identification, preservation , and cataloging of Smithsonian documents." The Archives were physically relocated to the Smithsonian Castle , and received separate line-item funding. Nathan Reingold, the editor of the Joseph Henry Papers Project, served as Acting Archivist from 1969 to 1970. In January 1970, Richard H. Lytle began
4816-535: The Atlantic Ocean in an airplane. The project coordinators included publisher and publicist George P. Putnam , who later became her husband. She was a passenger, with the plane flown by Wilmer Stultz and copilot/mechanic Louis Gordon. On June 17, 1928, the team departed from Trepassey Harbor , Newfoundland , in a Fokker F.VIIb /3m named "Friendship" and landed at Pwll near Burry Port , South Wales, exactly 20 hours and 40 minutes later. The flight duration became
4928-622: The Bella Landauer Collection of sheet music. Housed in the Smithsonian Institution Libraries’ Research Annex in Landover, Maryland, the ALM Collection is a growing body of largely grey literature in the form of government manuals, reports, studies, and surveys capturing the history and evolution of civil aviation. The organization's archives consist of material related to art, history, science and
5040-452: The Earhart girls received homeschooling from their mother and a governess. Amelia later said she was "exceedingly fond of reading" and spent many hours in the large family library. In 1909, when the family was reunited in Des Moines, the Earhart children were enrolled in public school for the first time and Amelia, 12, entered seventh grade. The Earhart family's finances seemingly improved with
5152-690: The Frank G. Brewer Trophy by the National Aeronautic Association , and in 2014 became inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum . In August 1929, a small group of female pilots met informally in Cleveland , Ohio following the United States Women's Air Derby , and that group agreed that there was a need to form an organization to support women in
5264-482: The History of Science and Technology contains 35,000 books and 2,000 manuscripts related to the history of science and technology. Established in 1976 with a donation from Bern Dibner , the Dibner Library is housed in the National Museum of American History . The Cullman Library of Natural History holds some 10,000 volumes published before 1840 in the fields of anthropology and natural sciences. The Cullman Library
5376-400: The Smithsonian Institution Libraries formally changed its name to Smithsonian Libraries "to simplify and strengthen the Libraries as part of an overall rebranding in the modern era". The Smithsonian Libraries and Smithsonian Institution Archives merged in December 2020 and the organization changed its name to the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. In 1891, William Jones Rhees, Chief Clerk of
5488-475: The Smithsonian Institution, became Keeper of the Archives. He served until 1907. Current records and historical files were maintained by Office of the Secretary's administrative staff through the middle of the 20th century. John F. Jameson III became Archivist in 1958. His successor, John DeGurse, Jr., served from 1960 to 1964. Beginning in 1965, Smithsonian Archivist Samuel T. Suratt was charged with "development of
5600-592: The Smithsonian websites. It has also conducted joint research on e-mail record preservation with the Rockefeller Archive Center . The Smithsonian Institution Archives moved into the Capital Gallery Building in August 2006, and has "a state-of-the-art storage facility; a reading room; several special viewing/listening rooms; processing and preservation space; digital imaging and audiovisual processing facilities; an oral history interview studio; and
5712-411: The Smithsonian, and provides web access to over 3,000 digital images. The 12-volume Joseph Henry Papers Project , a history of the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, was published in 2007. The Electronic Records Division has held digital records since the mid-1990s, and works with " risk management , preservation and conservation" of data in current and obsolete formats, including archiving of
SECTION 50
#17328484528565824-426: The Smithsonian. Many exhibitions have a digital component. A representative selection of Smithsonian Libraries and Archives exhibits include Artists Books and Africa , Once There Were Billions: Vanished Birds of North America , Cultivating America's Gardens , Fantastic Worlds , and Paper Engineering: Fold, Pull, Pop & Turn . Additionally, Smithsonian Libraries is the home of Library and Archival Exhibitions on
5936-581: The Special Collections Department which is primarily dedicated to that purpose. According to its mission statement, "The Special Collections Department arranges, describes, houses, and provides access to the rare books, manuscripts, and special collections held in the two dedicated special collections libraries of Smithsonian Institution Libraries." Access is provided to Smithsonian Institution curators, researchers, and other staff as well as outside scholars by appointment. The Dibner Library of
6048-402: The United States have been named in her honor; these include a commemorative US airmail stamp, an airport, a museum, a bridge, a cargo ship, an earth-fill dam, a playhouse, a library, and multiple roads and schools. She also has a minor planet , a planetary corona , and newly discovered lunar crater named after her. Numerous films, documentaries, and books have recounted Earhart's life, and she
6160-489: The acquisition of a new house and the hiring of two servants but it soon became apparent Edwin was an alcoholic. In 1914, he was forced to retire; he attempted to rehabilitate himself through treatment but the Rock Island Railroad never reinstated him. At about this time, Earhart's grandmother Amelia Otis died, leaving a substantial estate that placed her daughter's share in a trust, fearing Edwin's drinking would exhaust
6272-492: The aircraft came close. "I did not understand it at the time," she said, "but I believe that little red airplane said something to me as it swished by." On December 28, 1920, Earhart and her father attended an "aerial meet" at Daugherty Field in Long Beach, California . She asked her father to ask about passenger flights and flying lessons. Earhart was booked for a passenger flight the following day at Emory Roger's Field , at
6384-451: The airfield, Earhart had to take a bus then walk four miles (6.4 km). Earhart's mother provided part of the $ 1,000 "stake" against her "better judgement". Earhart cropped her hair short in the style of other female flyers. Six months later, in mid 1921 and against Snook's advice, Earhart purchased a secondhand, chromium yellow Kinner Airster biplane, which she nicknamed "The Canary". After her first successful solo landing, she bought
6496-459: The airport's operation by investing a small sum of money, and in 1927, she flew the first official flight out of Dennison Airport. Earhart worked as a sales representative for Kinner Aircraft in the Boston area and wrote local-newspaper columns promoting flying; as her local celebrity grew, Earhart made plans to launch an organization for female flyers. In 1928, Earhart became the first woman to cross
6608-443: The best result she could manage because her stock Lockheed Vega, whose maximum speed was 195 mph (314 km/h), was outclassed by purpose-built aircraft that reached more than 300 mph (480 km/h). The race had been difficult because a competitor, Cecil Allen, died in a fire at takeoff, and Jacqueline Cochran was forced to pull out due to mechanical problems. In addition, "blinding fog" and violent thunderstorms plagued
6720-480: The best science program; she rejected the high school nearest her home, complaining the chemistry lab was "just like a kitchen sink". She eventually enrolled in Hyde Park High School but spent a miserable semester for which a yearbook caption noted: "A.E.—the girl in brown who walks alone". Amelia Earhart graduated from Hyde Park High School in 1916. Throughout her childhood, she had continued to aspire to
6832-504: The broken wooden box that had served as a sled with a bruised lip, a torn dress and a "sensation of exhilaration", saying: "Oh, Pidge, it's just like flying!" In 1907, Edwin Earhart's job as a claims officer for the Rock Island Railroad led to a transfer to Des Moines, Iowa . The next year, at the age of 10, Amelia saw her first aircraft at Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Their father tried to interest his daughters in taking
SECTION 60
#17328484528566944-401: The burgeoning field of aviation. Invitations to an initial meeting at a later date were sent out to all 117 female pilots licensed at the time. On November 2, 1929, the organization was founded at Curtiss Field near Valley Stream , New York by 26 licensed female pilots for the mutual support and advancement of "Women Pilots ." At the suggestion of Amelia Earhart , the organization's name
7056-528: The captain of the President Roosevelt , the ship that had transported Earhart from Europe in 1928. Manning was also a pilot and a skilled radio operator who knew Morse code . The original plan was a two-person crew: Earhart would fly and Manning would navigate. During a flight across the US that included Earhart, Manning, and Putnam, Earhart flew using landmarks; she and Putnam knew where they were. Manning did
7168-535: The community, and preserve the unique history of women in aviation . The organization is divided into "sections" that are part of geographical areas covering multiple states in the continental U.S. and outlying territories, provinces in Canada, and regions of countries in continents across the globe. Chapters are the smallest grouping, often representing large cities or metropolitan areas under their geographical "sections". Efforts of members which significantly contributed to
7280-411: The corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue . A 10-minute flight with Frank Hawks , who later gained fame as an air racer , cost $ 10. The ride with Hawkes changed Earhart's life; she said: "By the time I had got two or three hundred feet [60–90 m] off the ground ... I knew I had to fly." The next month, Earhart engaged Neta Snook to be her flying instructor. The initial contract
7392-424: The day of the wedding, she wrote: I want you to understand I shall not hold you to any midaevil [ sic ] code of faithfulness to me nor shall I consider myself bound to you similarly ... I may have to keep some place where I can go to be by myself, now and then, for I cannot guarantee to endure at all times the confinement of even an attractive cage. Earhart's ideas on marriage were liberal for
7504-403: The documentation, preservation and publication of The Ninety-Nines historical records and museum contributions include those of Virginia Thompson, who joined the organization in 1954. Thompson became the first Historian of the Mid-Atlantic Section (formerly the Middle-East Section), a founding member and Chairman of the Washington D.C. Chapter, and eventually the Mid-Atlantic Section Governor during
7616-429: The early nineteenth century, representing about 40,000 companies. Most of the Smithsonian Libraries are located in the Washington, D.C., area, where most of the Smithsonian Institution's museums and research centers are. Other locations include New York City; Suitland, Maryland; Edgewater, Maryland; and the Republic of Panama. While all Smithsonian libraries hold some special collections material, two libraries comprise
7728-472: The editorial board of Paramount Pictures in North Hollywood . At Earhart's urging, in June 1935, Putnam purchased a small house in Toluca Lake , a San Fernando Valley celebrity enclave community between the Warner Brothers and Universal Pictures studio complexes, where they had earlier rented a temporary residence. In September 1935, Earhart and Paul Mantz established a business partnership they had been considering since late 1934, and established
7840-517: The expanding repositories, and the appointment of William W. Moss as Director. By fiscal year 1988, the stacks in the Arts and Industry Building had filled up, and about 5,000 cubic feet of records were sent to leased warehouses at Fullerton Industrial Park, South Springfield, Virginia. New developments included the Smithsonian Archives and Special Collections Council, The Smithsonian Videohistory Program, which collected interviews focused on American science starting in 1987, and an "exhaustive survey" of
7952-437: The fire horse", Earhart flew solo from Los Angeles to Mexico City. Earhart's next record attempt was a nonstop flight from Mexico City to New York. After she set off on May 8, her flight was uneventful, although large crowds that greeted her at Newark, New Jersey , were a concern, because she had to be careful not to taxi into them. Earhart again participated in the 1935 Bendix Trophy long-distance air race, finishing fifth,
8064-423: The first Santa Monica-to-Cleveland Women's Air Derby (nicknamed the "Powder Puff Derby" by Will Rogers ), which left Santa Monica, California , on August 18 and arrived at Cleveland, Ohio , on August 26. During the race, Earhart settled into fourth place in the "heavy planes" division. At the second-to-last stop at Columbus, Earhart's friend Ruth Nichols , who was in third place, had an accident; her aircraft hit
8176-527: The first woman to complete a circumnavigational flight of the globe in a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra airplane, Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan disappeared near Howland Island in the central Pacific Ocean. The two were last seen in Lae , New Guinea, their last land stop before Howland Island. It is generally presumed they ran out of fuel, crashed into the ocean and died near Howland Island. Nearly one year and six months after she and Noonan disappeared, Earhart
8288-460: The first woman to fly solo across the North American continent and back. Her piloting skills and professionalism gradually grew, and she was acknowledged by experienced professional pilots who flew with her. General Leigh Wade , who flew with Earhart in 1929, said: "She was a born flier, with a delicate touch on the stick." Earhart made her first attempt at competitive air racing in 1929 during
8400-873: The first woman to fly solo nonstop across the Atlantic, Earhart received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress , the Cross of Knight of the Legion of Honor from the French Government , and the Gold Medal of the National Geographic Society from President Herbert Hoover . As her fame grew, Earhart developed friendships with many people in high offices, most notably First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt , who shared many of Earhart's interests, especially women's causes. After flying with Earhart, Roosevelt obtained
8512-444: The formation of new museums for subjects such as African art , American Indian culture and postal history and a new library branch was subsequently formed for each of these as well. The 1990s introduced an expansion of the Libraries' focus to improve their ability to reach and educate the general public. The introduction of electronic and Internet technology played a large role in spurring this new outreach endeavor. In 1999, under
8624-784: The funds. The Otis house was auctioned along with its contents; Amelia later described these events as the end of her childhood. In 1915, after a long search, Edwin Earhart found work as a clerk at the Great Northern Railway in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Amelia entered Central High School as a junior. Edwin applied for a transfer to Springfield, Missouri , in 1915, but the current claims officer reconsidered his retirement and demanded his job back, leaving Edwin Earhart unemployed. Amy Earhart took her children to Chicago, where they lived with friends. Amelia canvassed nearby high schools in Chicago to find
8736-893: The goals of the organization by being active in numerous aviation activities, including: aviation education seminars in the community, air racing, from the Powder Puff Derby to the Palms to Pines and the Air Race Classic ; and airmarking by volunteering their time to paint airport names, compass rose symbols and other identifications on airports and the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA). Most regional and national NIFA competitions have "99s" on their panels of judges. Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( / ˈ ɛər h ɑːr t / AIR -hart ; born July 24, 1897; declared dead January 5, 1939)
8848-571: The hospital during the pre-antibiotic era, Earhart had painful minor operations to wash out the affected maxillary sinus but these procedures were not successful and her headaches worsened. Earhart's convalescence lasted nearly a year, which she spent at her sister's home in Northampton, Massachusetts . Earhart passed the time reading poetry, learning to play the banjo, and studying mechanics. Chronic sinusitis significantly affected Earhart's flying and other activities in later life, and sometimes she
8960-819: The humanities. This includes document, image, audio-visual, electronic, oral history, and video history collections about expeditions, biographies, and general history about the Smithsonian Institution. Digital initiatives are conducted by cross-disciplinary teams that include staff from the Division of Digital Programs and Initiatives and other divisions. They include publications, images, collections and objects such as online exhibits, webcasts, finding aids, digital versions of print editions, bibliographies, etc. The organization's digital collections include over 35,000 digitized books and manuscripts along with digitized photo collections, ephemera, and seed catalogs. Separately indexed collections of bibliographies, photos, and ephemera include
9072-434: The leadership of director Robert Maloy, Smithsonian Libraries staff completed a fourteen-year long effort to create a public access online catalog, with 97 percent of their then-holdings gaining digital records. The Smithsonian Research Information System (SIRIS) was introduced in the 2000s, providing the capability to search records of text, images, video and sound files from across the Smithsonian Institution. In March 2013,
9184-566: The library staff and procedures, and created a modern, unified system with central services and a union catalog. By 1977, when Shank left, the quality and research value of the scientific collections were recognized nationally, and SIL was invited to join the Association of Research Libraries . SIL was granted a seat on the executive board of the Federal Libraries and Information Centers Coordinating Committee. The late 1970s and 1980s also saw
9296-573: The name based on the number of the charter members, and became the organization's first president in 1930. Earhart was a vigorous advocate for female pilots; when the 1934 Bendix Trophy Race banned women from competing, Earhart refused to fly screen actor Mary Pickford to Cleveland to open the race. Earhart married her public relations manager George P. Putnam on February 7, 1931, in Putnam's mother's house in Noank, Connecticut , in what has been described as
9408-613: The new venture, she would need a new aircraft. In late November 1934, while Earhart was away on a speaking tour, a fire broke out at the Putnam residence in Rye, destroying many family treasures and Earhart's personal mementos. Putnam had already sold his interest in the New York-based publishing company to his cousin Palmer Putnam . Following the fire, the couple decided to move to the west coast, where Putnam took up his new position as head of
9520-476: The people of the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is dedicated to advancing scientific and cultural understanding as well as preserving American heritage. The organization's Book Conservation Lab and other preservation efforts work to ensure long-term access to library and archival resources. Additional efforts include educational programs for learners of all ages, hosting internships and fellowships, and participating in collaborative projects such as
9632-437: The photographs housed in Smithsonian facilities. Moss continued as director of the reorganized Office of Smithsonian Institution Archives in 1993, which contained an Archives Division, an Institutional History Division, and a National Collections Program. Pamela M. Henson succeeded Moss as Acting Director in 1993, followed by John F. Jameson Fr. in 1994. In 1994, Edie Hedlin became Director. She served until 2005, presiding over
9744-665: The present (as of 2012) Director, Anne Van Camp . The Archives division consisted of three divisions: a Records Management (RM) Team, the Arrangement and Description Team which created " finding aids , bibliographic records, and agency histories" and the Reference Team responding to visits and remote queries from researchers. The Records Management Team took over the work of the Arrangement and Description Team in 2007. The Preservation Team, responsible for long-term preservation of Smithsonian Archives materials, consultation, and outreach,
9856-448: The press because he was ostensibly preparing Earhart's Vega for his own Arctic flight. After a flight lasting 14 hours, 56 minutes, during which she contended with strong northerly winds, icy conditions and mechanical problems, Earhart landed in a pasture at Culmore , north of Derry , Northern Ireland. The landing was witnessed by Cecil King and T. Sawyer. When a farm hand asked, "Have you flown far?" Earhart replied, "From America." As
9968-509: The purchase of a Lockheed Electra 10E airplane. In July 1936, Lockheed Aircraft Company built the airplane, which was fitted with extra fuel tanks and other extensive modifications. Earhart dubbed the twin-engine monoplane her "flying laboratory". The plane was built at Lockheed's plant in Burbank, California , and after delivery, it was hangared at the nearby Mantz's United Air Services. Earhart chose Harry Manning as her navigator; he had been
10080-498: The race. Between 1930 and 1935, Earhart set seven women's speed-and-distance aviation records in a variety of aircraft, including the Kinner Airster, Lockheed Vega, and Pitcairn Autogiro. By 1935, recognizing the limitations of her "lovely red Vega" in long, transoceanic flights, Earhart contemplated a new "prize ... one flight which I most wanted to attempt—a circumnavigation of the globe as near its waistline as could be." For
10192-491: The scholarly community and general public with information and reference support. Its collections number nearly 3 million volumes including 50,000 rare books and manuscripts. The Libraries' collections focus primarily on science, art, history and culture, and museology . The archives include materials documenting the history of the 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, 9 research facilities, and
10304-408: The second meeting on December 14 at the home of Opal Kunz , and was appointed to represent Texas. The Ninety-Nines, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization , and as of 2017 has 5,159 members in 30 countries. The mission of the Ninety-Nines is to promote world fellowship through flight, provide networking and scholarship opportunities for women in aviation, foster aviation education opportunities in
10416-498: The short-lived Earhart-Mantz Flying School, which Mantz controlled and operated through his aviation company United Air Services, which was based at Burbank Airport . Putnam handled publicity for the school, which primarily taught instrument flying using Link Trainers . Also in 1935, Earhart joined Purdue University as a visiting faculty member to counsel women on careers and as a technical advisor to its Department of Aeronautics. Early in 1936, Earhart started planning to fly around
10528-402: The time; she believed in equal responsibilities for both breadwinners and kept her own name rather than being referred to as "Mrs. Putnam". When The New York Times referred to her as "Mrs. Putnam", she laughed it off. Putnam also learned he would be called "Mr. Earhart". There was no honeymoon for the couple because Earhart was involved in a nine-day, cross-country tour promoting autogyros and
10640-499: The title to her book about the expedition 20 Hrs. 40 Min. Earhart had no training on this type of aircraft and did not pilot the plane. When interviewed after landing, she said: "Stultz did all the flying—had to. I was just baggage, like a sack of potatoes ... maybe someday I'll try it alone." Despite her feeling she gained international attention from the press and was greeted like a heroine. On June 19, 1928, Earhart flew to Woolston, Southampton , England, where she received
10752-417: The tour's sponsor Beech-Nut chewing gum. Earhart and Putnam never had children but Putnam had two sons—the explorer and writer David Binney Putnam (1913–1992), and George Palmer Putnam Jr. (1921–2013)—from his previous marriage to Dorothy Binney (1888–1982), an heir to her father's chemical company Binney & Smith . On May 20, 1932, 34-year-old Earhart set off from Harbour Grace , Newfoundland , with
10864-476: The transition to electronic information and the creation of the first websites. The "fourth (and last) printed Guide to the Smithsonian Archives ... described over 1,100 record units comprising some 15,500 cubic feet of archival material," and appeared in 1996. Many archival records were moved to a storage facility, Iron Mountain , in 1997. Acting Director Thomas Soapes served from 2005 to 2007, followed by
10976-700: The tuition fees and associated costs. In 1925, Earhart found employment first as a teacher, then as a social worker at Denison House , a Boston settlement house . At this time, she lived in Medford , Massachusetts. When Earhart lived in Medford, she maintained her interest in aviation, becoming a member of the American Aeronautical Society 's Boston chapter and eventually being elected its vice president. She flew out of Dennison Airport in Quincy , helped finance
11088-518: The world; if she succeeded, she would become the first woman to do so. Although others had flown around the world, Earhart's flight would be the longest at 29,000 miles (47,000 km) because it followed a roughly equatorial route. Earhart planned to court publicity along the route to increase interest in a planned book about the expedition. Purdue University established the Amelia Earhart Fund for Aeronautical Research and gave $ 50,000 to fund
11200-420: The young Amelia as a tomboy . The girls kept worms, moths, katydids and a tree toad they gathered in a growing collection. In 1904, with the help of her uncle, Amelia Earhart constructed a home-made ramp that was fashioned after a roller coaster she had seen on a trip to St. Louis, Missouri , and secured it to the roof of the family tool shed. Following Amelia's well-documented first flight, she emerged from
11312-562: Was a member of the National Woman's Party and an early supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment . She was one of the most-inspirational American figures from the late 1920s and throughout the 1930s; her legacy is often compared to those of the early career of pioneer aviator Charles Lindbergh and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt for their close friendship and lasting influence on women's causes. In 1937, during an attempt to become
11424-544: Was an American aviation pioneer . On July 2, 1937, Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her life, Earhart embraced celebrity culture and women's rights, and since her disappearance, she has become a cultural icon. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean and she set many other records; she
11536-545: Was elected as their first president in 1931, and the organization has continued to make a significant impact supporting the advancement of women in aviation since its inception. In 1982, the Ninety-Nines received the National Aviation Hall of Fame Spirit of Flight Award, and were inducted into the Oklahoma Air Space Museum Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2002, the organization was selected as the recipient of
11648-405: Was engaged in nursing duties that included night shifts at Spadina Military Hospital. In early November that year, she became infected and was hospitalized for pneumonia and maxillary sinusitis . She was discharged in December 1918, about two months later. Her sinus -related symptoms were pain and pressure around one eye, and copious mucus drainage via the nostrils and throat. While staying in
11760-472: Was for 12 hours of instruction for $ 500. Working at a variety of jobs, including photographer, truck driver, and stenographer at the local telephone company, Earhart saved $ 1,000 for flying lessons; she had her first lesson on January 3, 1921, at Kinner Field on the west side of Long Beach Boulevard and Tweedy Road, now in the city of South Gate . For training, Snook used a crash-salvaged Curtiss JN-4 "Canuck" airplane she had restored for training. To reach
11872-458: Was forced to wear a bandage on her cheek to cover a small drainage tube. By 1919, Earhart prepared to enter Smith College , where her sister was a student, but she changed her mind and enrolled in a course of medical studies and other programs at Columbia University . Earhart quit her studies a year later to be with her parents, who had reunited in California. In the early 1920s, Earhart and
11984-515: Was officially declared dead. The mysterious nature of Earhart's disappearance has meant public interest in her life remains significant. Earhart's airplane has never been found and this has led to speculation and conspiracy theories about the outcome of the flight . Decades after her presumed death, Earhart was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1968 and the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1973. Several commemorative memorials in
12096-400: Was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel, wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of The Ninety-Nines , an organization for female pilots. Earhart was born and raised in Atchison, Kansas , and developed a passion for adventure at a young age, steadily gaining flying experience from her twenties. In 1928, Earhart became
12208-410: Was successful in establishing the Earhart mystique in the public psyche. Rather than simply endorsing the products, Earhart became involved in the promotions, especially in women's fashions. The "active living" lines that were sold in stores such as Macy's were an expression of Earhart's new image. Her concept of simple, natural lines matched with wrinkle-proof, washable materials was the embodiment of
12320-520: Was taken from the number of charter members, settling on "Ninety-Nines" based on responses received by Christmas. Charter members include: Other notable members include: Charter member Margaret Thomas "Tommy" Warren believes she might have been the youngest charter member of the 99's – being only 17 when she joined. She was not present at the first gathering of women aviators on Long Island in October 1929, but did go to New York with Frances Harrell for
12432-466: Was the dominant sibling while her sister Grace Muriel Earhart (1899–1998), two years her junior, acted as a dutiful follower. Amelia was nicknamed "Meeley" and sometimes "Millie", and Grace was nicknamed "Pidge"; both girls continued to answer to their childhood nicknames well into adulthood. Their upbringing was unconventional; Amy Earhart did not believe in raising her children to be "nice little girls". The children's maternal grandmother disapproved of
12544-419: Was within an acceptable error of 30 miles (48 km), but Mantz and Putnam wanted a better navigator. Smithsonian Libraries and Archives Smithsonian Libraries and Archives is an institutional archives and library system comprising 21 branch libraries serving the various Smithsonian Institution museums and research centers . The Libraries and Archives serve Smithsonian Institution staff as well as
#855144