Descriptive Finding Guide For: Walter J. Addems Personal Papers (1899-1997) Prepared by: Jenna Shaeffer, Student Intern September 2010 Updated by: Debbie Seracini February 20, 2015 1
Cataloging Information ACC. #: URL SDASM: http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/collections/collection_item.php?id=74 URL Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/sets/72157633102796263/ URL OAC: http://www.oac.cdlib.org/institutions/san+diego+air+and+space+museum+library+and+archi ves LOCATION: Archives RESTRICTIONS: None COPYRIGHT: SDASM Provenance The materials were donated to the San Diego Air & Space Museum in 1992. History Walter Addems was an Early Bird who devoted much of his life to aviation. He was a barnstormer, mail pilot, Director of Flight Operations, and built a replica Nieuport XI in his 60s, flying it to SDASM at age 83. Walter J. Addems (1899-November 21, 1997) grew up in Illinois and made his first flight in a glider he built himself when he was only 16 years old, using the plans found in an issue of Aviation Week magazine. The flight was short lived, but he flew enough to qualify for membership in the exclusive Early Birds club. In 1920, he moved with his family to Iowa for a time and briefly in the Army. He was soon back around local airstrips and continued refining his aviation skills. Soon, Addems was participating in airshows and barnstorming, by then he built a 50 HP plane, but used a Curtiss JN-4 or Jenny for his exhibitions, also working for the Harper Oil Company in Chicago, Illinois. During those years, he bought, built, and flew numerous aircraft that distinguished the era. In 1925, the same year he married Genevieve Mongeau, he joined Charles Dickenson to fly air mail on the Chicago-Minneapolis. Addems ceased barnstorming and began flying mail from Chicago to Milwakee, eventually joining the National Air Transport (NAT) flying mail from Chicago to Cleveland. Addems became so proficient as a self-taught pilot, he began to train other fliers. In fact, he was granted one of the first pilot instrument ratings, and NAT modified a Douglas mail plane so Addems could instruct pilots in instrument flying by 1931. After NAT, BAT, PAT, and Varney became United Airlines, Walter Addems stayed on, ultimately becoming Director of Flight Operations where he had a significant role in flying and mapping each new route, testing new planes for the fleet from the DC-3 to the Boeing 377, and developing airline operating procedures. However, in spite of support from many of the airline s pilots, he lost this job after the airline saw a series of unfortunate crashes in the 1950s. He 2
resumed flying on government contract runs and eventually became United s chief pilot on the San Francisco-Hawaii route. Then, in 1959 upon reaching the retirement age of 60, Mr. Addems retired in Atherton, California, where he began building planes again. In 1962 he completed a replica of a Nieuport XI, an aircraft used in WWI by the Lafayette Escadrille, to fly in air shows. He flew the Nieuport XI until the age of 83, spending 67 years of his life flying. His last flight was delivering the aircraft to the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He passed away at the age of 98 in Palo Alto, California. Scope & Content Notes This collection contains approximately 5 linear inches of papers covering Walter J. Addems long, successful life of flying and achievements. The collection contains invoices, logbooks, chronology of his accomplishments, news articles, correspondence, route maps, NAT newsletters, schedules, licenses, photographs, technical notes, and magazine articles. The collection primarily covers the years 1914-1982. Important Personalities & Subjects Aerial Acrobatics; Barnstorming; Biplane; Correspondence; Curtiss JN-4 Jenny; Early Birds; Glider; Harper Oil Company; Lafayette Escadrille; Lincoln Beachy; NAT Bulletin Board; National Air Transport; News articles; Nieuport XI; Stunt flying; United; United Airlines; Walter J. Addems; World War I aircraft. Series Description The collection is stored in one manuscript box containing 9 file folders of articles, correspondences, editorials, and related material on Addems and his flight experience. Of particular interest are his technical notes on construction of his Nieuport XI and Le Rhone. A complete document inventory is also included in Folder 1. Box 1 of 1 Box Listing Folder 1 - Collection Info and Provenance 1. Timeline, The Walter J. Addems Collection by R.P. Callaghan, January 2001 (3 pages). 2. Computer scanned images of documents and photographs belonging to Walt J. Addems. R.P. Callaghan, December 9, 2000 (18 pages). 3. Photocopy of Addem s obituary in New York Times, December 7, 1997 (2 copies). 4. Invoice for donations to SDAM, December 8, 1982 (2 pages). 3
5. Handwritten inventory of Walter Addems Collection, 1899-1997. Folder 2 - Newspaper 1 of 2 1. News article-photo of Walter Addems in Nieuport II fly by, August 1972. 2. News article-photo and story on Nieuport II, March 13, 1963. 3. News article- Photographs of Walter Addems flying Nieuport XI, Sarasota Herald- Tribune, April 13, 1979. 4. News article- Photographs of Walter Addems flying Nieuport XI, The News Tribune, Tacoma, May 13, 1979. 5. News article-photographs and story on Walter Addems, Butch Pfeifer, and Joe Pfeifer- The Farm Tribune, August 16, 1962. 6. News article-photograph and story on Walter Addems, Palo Alto Times, September 30, 1972. 7. News article-photograph and story on Walter Addems, Porterville Evening Recorder, September 24, 1962. 8. News article-story on Livermore Airport Show-Herald and News, May 2, 1966. 9. News article-pilots Kantner and Dorm, Convariety, March 28, 1951. 10. News article-photograph and story on Lincoln Beachy, S.F. Examiner, March 14, 1965. 11. News article- Photograph and story of air show on Chicago s lake front-chicago Sunday Tribune, August 27, 1961. 12. News article-photograph at King s Cup Air Race, Birmingham, England-Replica of 1909 Bleriot-Rocky Mt. News, August 6, 1949. 13. Article-Walter Addems and his Nieuport XI replica-california Today, July 5, 1970. 14. Article-Photograph and story of Walter Addems and Nieuport XI-Western States Aviation News, July 1965. Folder 3 - Newspaper 2 of 2 1. News article-photo and story on Walter Addems, December 15, 1963. 2. News article-photo and story on Walter Addems and Joe Pfeifer, August 9, 1962. 3. News article, Porterville Recorder, August 8, 1962. 4. News article, Fresno Bee, September 24, 1962. 5. News Article- Photographs and story on Walter Addems and the Pfeifers-Porterville Recorder, August 11, 1962. 6. News article, Porterville Recorder, September 22, 1962. 7. News article-photograph and story of Walter Addems and plane, Palo Alto Times, March 13, 1963. 8. Original- Magazine article, The First Army Plane -National Aeronautics, October 1944. 9. Advertisement from magazine, Warming Up for the Big Race. Folder 4 - Technical Notes for Nieuport XI 1. Technical notes on construction of his Nieuport XI and Le Rhone-5 pages; Second packet 7 pages. 2. Copy- Railroad map used by Addems, 1927-1928. 3. Copy-Photographs of Addems plane, 1919 (2 photos). 4. Letter of Authorization to perform aerial acrobatics, August 2, 1978, signed Gerald J. Widmayer. 4
Folder 5 - National Air Transport (NAT) Bulletin Board 1. Copy- Consolidated schedules and fares for air passengers, corrected to February 21, 1929. 2. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, October 13, 1928. 3. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, November 17, 1928. 4. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, December 15, 1928. 5. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, January 26, 1929. 6. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, February 15, 1929. 7. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, March 1929. 8. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, April 1929. 9. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, May 1929. 10. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, August 1929. 11. Copy- NAT Bulletin Board Publication, September/October 1930. Folder 6 Correspondences 1. Copy- Letter from E.P. Lott, November 19, 1928. 2. Copy- Letter from Lester D. Seymour, April 16, 1931 and Attached memo. 3. Copy- Memo from E.P. Lott, October 12, 1931. 4. Copy- Memos from E.P. Lott, January 7, 1932. 5. Letter from William A. Blees, May 22, 1947. 6. Copy- Letter from W.A. Patterson, October 13, 1947. 7. Copy- Letter from Milton W. Arnold, December 29, 1948. 8. Copy- Letter from Harvey P. Bishop, February 8, 1950. 9. Copy- Memo from W.A. Patterson, February 10, 1950. 10. Copy- Letter from D.W. Rentzel, April 17, 1951. 11. Copy- Letter from D.W. Rentzel, September 13, 1951. 12. Copy- Letter from Jerome Lederer, April 2, 1959. 13. Letter from Harold E. Rosenquist, June 1, 1969. 14. Copy of Railroad/Air Mail Service Map, n.d. Folder 7 Miscellaneous 1. Two tickets for rides on the Ansaldo Cruiser. 2. Ansaldo Cabin Cruiser/ Harper Oil Co. information sheet. 3. Large flier advertising rides on Ansaldo Cabin Cruiser with Walter Addems, pilot. 4. Copy- UAL Transport Corp.-Flight Test Program on the DC-4. 5. Copy- Aeronautical clipping Addems saved, 1912 (8 pages). 6. Copy- Federation Aeronautic International licenses for 1925-1928. 7. Copy- Fliers of Douglas DC-4. 8. Copy- Notes from back page of 1931 logbook. 9. Copy- NAT Douglas Mail Plane. 10. Copy- Photo of NAT Mail Plane, C795. 11. Photocopy of flight pins. Folder 8 - Notebook and pilot air log book 1. 4-inches x 6-inches spiral-bound notebook titled, Pilot Log Time 1966-Aug thru Dec- 1977, W.J. Addems, Nieuport. 5
2. 3-inch x 4.5-inch Pilot Air Log book. 1961-1965. Folder 9 Photographs 1. Photograph- Nieuport junkyard, France-Spring 1919 and letter from Thomas Caldwell. 2. Photograph- Lillian Boyer performing aerial acrobats (autographed). 3. Photograph- Herman Wilhelm standing by plane. 4. Photograph- postcard of seaplane, 1914 (Air Boat). 5. Photograph- Addems, Gen. and Mrs. La Pere, Toledo, 1925. 6. Photograph- Edward Nelson standing by plane. 7. Photograph- Edward Nelson in De Haviland (DH4). 8. Photograph- An Ansaldo plane on field, Wisconsin, c.1924. 9. Photograph- Walter Addems in front of Harper s Oils plane, August 1, 1923. 10. Photograph- Walter Addems in Harper s Oil plane (Ansaldo). 11. Photographs- Walter Addems and his self-built Nieuport XI-30 photos. 12. Photographs- Walter Addems and his self-built Nieuport XI-13 B/W, 12 Color-25 photos. 13. Photograph- Harper s Oils, Italian built Ansaldo. 14. Photographs taken at Rotary Engine lecture, February 21, 1969-12 photos. 15. Copy- Photograph of 2 men at rear of plane and handwritten explanation by Addems. 16. Copy- Photograph of NAT mail plane/#112e. 17. Copy- Photograph of men working in the shop. 18. Copy- Photograph of 8 planes on muddy field and handwritten explanation by Addems. End Box Listing 6