Tuesday, February 11, 2014

#102) Madcaps, Millionaires, and "Mose"

I recently acquired an interesting book about our local aviation history. The book will be of special interest to readers that were at Librascope during the late 1950's and early 1960's, when Librascope occupied the nearby Glendale airport terminal.

The book, Madcaps, Millionaires, and "Mose" : The Chronicle of an Exciting Era When the Airways Led to Glendale, a pictorial history by John Underwood, is about an airport long gone and largely forgotten. More importantly, it is the story of a unique collection of individuals who created it and made it function. They were the pioneers of new industry which had its roots in the City of Glendale. In its heyday the airport was called Grand Central Air Terminal. It was the first official terminal for Los Angeles and home port to a dozen different air carriers.

The 144 page book has numerous rare photographs from the early 1900's through the late 1950's, when the airport's aircraft operations were forever closed.

Shortly after the airport's closing, the headline article in the August, 1959 Librazette reported that:

"Librascope Leases Four Airport Buildings - Provides Space for Engineering Units…. Librascope, ever in need of more space to cope with continuing growth, is taking over the former headquarters of the Ford Motor Company's Aeronutronics Systems, Inc., in the Grand Central Industrial Centre." 



Librascope occupied the airport buildings well into the 1960's. Today, the entire facility is owned and occupied by Disney.

The 1984 paperback book is currently available from third-party sellers on Amazon for about $15, plus S&H.

#101) In Memoriam - Stanley Eugene Williams

Judy Williams recently informed us that her husband, Stan, passed away January 6, 2013 at their home in Yuma, AZ. He was 79.

Stan started at Librascope in 1957 and left for OTI in 1964. While at Librascope he was Supervisor of Math Analysis, and was a contributor to the L-2010 Project (see photos of Stan in the November 1962 (p.2) and March 1963 (p.3) Librazettes). Note, Stan was Georgine Archer's boss when she started at Librascope in 1959.

Stan's obituary is published at http://www.forevermissed.com/stanley-eugene-williams#about, where you may leave a tribute.