[143] A: Langley Research Center Historical Archives

The sources used in this thesis that were examined at Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, are contained in four Record Groups. These are:

Record Group A181-1 "Special Files," cited herein as RGA181-1 (S);

Record Group A181-1 "Correspondence Files," cited herein as RGA181-1 (C);

Floyd L. Thompson Papers, cited herein as FLT Papers;

Milton Ames Collection, cited herein as MA Collection.

I was informed by the staff at Langley that RGA181-1(S), and RGA181-1 (C), were scheduled to be retired to the National Archives in late 1993. These two record groups, therefore, may no longer be located at Langley.

B: National Archives and Records Administration

There are essentially two types of NASA records at NARA, those that have been transferred to NARA's control, and those that are still under NASA's control. Both types are labeled as Record Group 255. Those under NARA control were examined, but provided little assistance with this project. Those under NASA's control can be accessed through the NASA History Office, which keeps a series of binders listing the accession forms. However, the records are organized by accession date, not the date they were generated, therefore, after examining the binders, I decided that the expenditure of time needed to peruse this rather large group could be more profitably spent on other sources.

C: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters

Several collections in the NASA History Office, Washington, DC (herein cited as NHO), provided information for this thesis. Record collections used that are contained in filing trays include:

Administrator's Collection;

Biographical Collection;

Budget Materials Collection;

Field Centers Collection;

Program and Projects Collection.

Records contained in file boxes include:

"NASA Headquarters Organization, OART (con't), OTDA, OSC," cited herein as NASA HQ box #1;

"NASA Headquarters Organizations: OLV, OAST, OART," cited herein as NASA HQ box #2;

"NASA Administrator's Monthly Progress Report," cited herein as NASA APR, (date).

The Congressional Records cited herein are all contained in the files of the NASA History Office. For the sake of clarity I have utilized the numbering system employed by that Office in my citations. This numbering system, based on the printing date of the document in question, allows one to quickly retrieve, desired record from the files, as well as saving some space in already crowded endnotes. For example: 6601-17H, indicates a House document dated 17 January 1966. NASA's Congressional Collection is organized in ascending numerical order.

[144] D: National Air and Space Museum

Several documents for this thesis were found in the Space History Collection at the Washington, DC museum.

E: Joseph A. Shortal, A New Dimension

This 1978 reference tome, the only published work of substance dealing exclusively with the Wallops Station, has not generally been used as a secondary source during the course of this thesis. Shortal for many years included Wallops as part of his Pilotless Aircraft Research Division at Langley, and thus produced a work that is as much memoir and chronicle, as it is history. He participated in much of the early history of the Station (until approximately 1961), and knew the people and issues involved, so I have utilized his work (outside of the introductory chapter) in much the same fashion in which I have utilized the oral histories.

F: Oral History Interviews

I have conducted a series of four interviews with six employees of the Wallops Station. These are:

Interview #1, conducted 21 December 1993, with Abraham D. Spinak, Marvin W. McGoogan, and Robert T. Duffy, on two 90 minute cassette tapes; cited herein as "Spinak, et al.," OHI, Tape [number, side: tape counter reading].

 

Interview #2, conducted 11 January 1994, with Joseph E. Robbins, on one 90 minute cassette tape; cited herein as "Robbing," OHI, Tape [number, side: tape counter reading].

 

Interview#3, conducted 25 January 1994, with Joyce B. Milliner, on one 90 minute cassette tape; cited herein as "Milliner," OHI, Tape [number, side: tape counter reading].

 

Interview #4, conducted 19 April 1994, with James Chris Floyd, on one 90 minute cassette tape; cited herein as "Floyd," OHI, Tape (number, side: tape counter reading].

G: Wallops Flight Facility

Documentary material examined at Wallops are situated in two locations. Much general information and public relations information are contained in the office of the Public Information Officer (currently Kieth Koehler). Jack Palmer's logbooks and several radar logbooks are also in this office. The Wallops Flight Facility Records Collection (cited herein as WFFRC) yielded several boxes of general information, and 12 boxes of research material Joseph Shortal used in writing his reference volume. Box #4 of this group of 12 proved very useful and is cited herein as Wallops Box #4.

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