EARLY BIRDS MEETING
LOS ANGELES, 1956

INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES
 
   
  THE GANG AT THE L. A. MEETING
Above photo shows the group attending the Los Angeles EB meeting of May 18, 1956. Seated (left to right) are Ivan P. Wheaton, George H. Scragg (EB Treasurer), Capt. Ralph Barnaby (EB President), Gen. Frank P. Lahm, Carl T. Batts, and Col. Warren S. Eaton (EB 1st Vice President). You will recognize among those standing such EB's as Arthur C. Burns, Mortimer F. Bates, Miss O. L. Hildebrandt (Queen of EB's), Hilder F. Smith, Filip A. Bjorklund, Elling O. Weeks, Tiny Broadwick, Howard Hindell, Tom Hamilton, B. H. Canady, and Waldo Waterman. We are indebted to Martin Cole of the Historical Association of I.A.S. for this picture.
 

 
 
LOS ANGELES MEETING
by Warren S. Eaton
South Pacific Division Chairman

On the 18th of May, 1956, the Early Birds of the South Pacific Division of California held their first semi-annual meeting of the year to honor the presence of our President, Capt. Ralph S. Barnaby, and our Treasurer, Editor of the Chirp and Past President, George H. Scragg. All in attendance sincerely appreciated the effort they extended to attend on this particular date.
      President Barnaby flew out especially to attend the meeting and reminisce with our members in this area, while Treasurer Scragg flew out ahead of an appointment in San Francisco. The pressure of business forced Ralph to return to Philadelphia, via San Diego, immediately after the meeting, while George visited for a day or so before continuing on to San Francisco on business and to attend an Early Bird meeting there in his honor on the 31st of May at the Marine Club.
      The meeting here was planned to broaden the association of Early Birds with other organizations of parallel and common interests. Accordingly, the Historical Associates, a section of the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, were invited to attend. Following the success of this joint meeting, this policy will be followed whenever possible in future meetings.
      Gen. Frank P. Lahm, chairman of this division, officiated at the dinner, welcoming the Associates and introducing the speakers. He read messages of regrets from those who could not attend, among whom were Col. J. E. Carberry, Motilde Moisant, R. G. "Bob" Fowler, Ed Bates, G. E. Barnhart and Raymond Acre.
      We all then gave a silent toast to our former members who have flown away and folded their earthly wings, namely James Dunsworth, Leo Heffernan, Harry Crewdson, Floyd Smith, Harry Parks, Paul Ferron, Dean Lamb and George Gray.
      Then Ralph Oakley, President of the Historical Associates, was introduced and addressed the gathering on our common interests in perpetuating the activities of our two groups in the general interest of aviation.
      Our President, Ralph Barnaby, spoke on furthering the purposes of our organization, as outlined in part in the Chirp and set forth in our constitution.
      Mr. Mathews, curator of the aviation section of the Los Angeles Museum, addressed us on their facilities for preserving and displaying the Early Bird relics peculiar to this area.
      Then our Treasurer, George H. Scragg, closed the meeting with his well rounded knowledge and information on EB activities in general, spicing the occasion with some of his appropriate and entertaining stories which left the gathering in a jovial mood for adjournment. He also announced the place and dates of the next EB reunion as Oklahoma City and the Labor Day weekend, when and where the Air Races will be held this year.
      Fifty-three dinners were served at this meeting, thirty-eight to EB's and their guests, and fifteen to the Historical Associates and their guests. The following EB's with their guests attended:
  Mortimer F. Bates
Filip J. Bjorklund
A. C. Burns
Warren S. Eaton
Howard J. Hindell
W. A. Lamkey
Tom Steptoe
P. R. Stockton
Elling O. Weeks
Carl T. Batts
Tiny Broadwick
B. H. Canady
Tom Hamilton
Frank P. Lahm
P. H. Spencer
Hilder F. Smith
Waldo Waterman
Ivan P. Wheaton
 
     Our Queen, Miss O. L. Hildebrandt, efficiently assisted in her usual pleasing way with all arrangements for the event.
     The cocktail hour started at 6 P.M. and it was 7:30 P.M. before the reminiscing could be stopped by the call, "Come and get it!"
     Our next meeting will be held in the fall. Date, program and speaker will be announced later.
     George Scragg went out of his way to make our May meeting and Los Angeles EB's certainly appreciate this as well as his constant and continuing effort in behalf of the organization and aviation in general.
From The Early Birds of Aviation CHIRP, July, 1956

 
HISTORY OF INSTITUTE OF AERONAUTICAL SCIENCES

On April 4, 1930, eleven men and one woman founded the American Interplanetrary Society (AIS) in New York City. A single pioneering dream motivated them: the idea that space flight and interplanetray travel were not only desirable, but possible. Four years later, in recognition of the role that rocket propulsion would play in space flight, the AIS changed its name to the American Rocket Society (ARS).
     At the same time that ARS was pursuing these revolutionary goals of aeronautical engineers and scientists saw another need. Coming from the struggling aircraft industry, which was still in its infancy, they recognized the value of aeronautical sciences and technologies. On October 15, 1932, vision became reality as the Institute of Aeronautical Sciences (IAS) was founded. At its Founders Day, the meeting roster listed 408 members. Orville Wright was its first Honorary Fellow.
     Over the next three decades, aeronautics and astronautics made remarkable advances. Both societies kept current by changing with the technology and the times. In 1960, to reflect the expanding scope of its mission, IAS changed its name to the Institute of Aerospace Sciences.
     But as time passed, the two societies crossed paths more and more. By the early Sixties they shared broad areas of common technical ground. On February 1, 1963, the American Rocket Society and the Institute of Aerospace Sciences merged to become the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).      AIAA and its founding societies have been on the forefront of the aerospace profession since its beginnings. The Institute has sought to foster a sense of pride and professionalism among those who have effected profound and long range changes in people throughout the world. This is why we take great pride in the fact that every major achievement in flight since 1963 was by at least one of AIAA's individual or corporate members.
     However, as we look back at the Institute and the extraordinary contributions of its members, we also look forward to the possibilities and potential that out future members offer in this ever-changing and exciting field.
 
History Taken Verbatim From the Website
HISTORY OF THE AIAA

 
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