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A Friday Story



We have an Elderhostel this week here at the University and
my wife is office manager for the coordinating office.  She
mentioned to me that all the women in the group were college
students at the opening of World War II and rushed through
in an experimental program to get women engineers into place.
Visiting the Museum of Naval Aviation, a number of these women
got to see (finally) the entire airplane for which they designed
controls, parts, etc.    I didn't learn until I talked to them last night
that they were all "Curtiss-Wright Cadets."

One of the members dropped their newsletter and on the back
page was a list of "missing" names.   One name was "Margaret
Smith."

Wednesday they came out to the University to tour the Margaret
J. Smith Archaeology Building....Margaret (who preferred to be
called Peg) was a frequent researcher here, helping convert
Spanish and British maps to modern maps through computer
technology.   When she died, she left everything to the University...
and I ultimately went through 400 boxes of personal papers to
select down to the 50-60 that I have.    Among these are Peg's
files working for Curtiss-Wright especially in the design of a
mobile helicopter or autogyrator that could be transported by
infantrymen.

It did indeed turn out that she was the missing person, a member
of their original group, and I had a nice dinner last night with Peg's
former college roommate of nearly 60 years ago.

Kind of a fitting end to a week.

Dean
Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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