Willis M. Hawkins Papers

The Willis M. Hawkins Papers, 1920-2009 (80 boxes) document the successful aerospace engineering career of Hawkins at Lockheed, the relationships between industry, military, and government, and the development of airplanes, missile systems, and space vehicles during the second half of the 20th century. Effort was made to maintain the original order in which the collection arrived at The Huntington Library and the arrangement reflects Hawkins' organization of materials largely by subject, project, or organization. The bulk of collection materials date from the 1950s to the early 1990s and consists of correspondence, memoranda, presentation and meeting materials, reports, blueprints, clippings, speeches, writings, and ephemera. The collection is especially rich in correspondence; in addition to Hawkins' incoming and outgoing correspondence is the copied correspondence of other Lockheed executives with whom Hawkins worked closely during his tenure. Hawkins' involvement in consulting and professional organizations was often in conjunction with his role at Lockheed, and researchers should thus be aware that materials are often dispersed through the series. For example, materials related to specific committees are frequently represented in both the Correspondence and Consulting Files Series.

The Willis M. Hawkins Papers, 1920-2009 (80 boxes) document the successful aerospace engineering career of Hawkins at Lockheed, the relationships between industry, military, and government, and the development of airplanes, missile systems, and space vehicles during the second half of the 20th century. Effort was made to maintain the original order in which the collection arrived at The Huntington Library and the arrangement reflects Hawkins' organization of materials largely by subject, project, or organization. The collection is divided into ten series: Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Development, Calendars and Diaries, Consulting Files, Correspondence, Personal Files, Photographs, Presentations and Speeches, Publications and Writings, Subject Files, and Oversized, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the Consulting Files, Correspondence and Subject Files series. The bulk of collection materials date from the 1950s to the early 1990s and consists of correspondence, memoranda, presentation and meeting materials, reports, blueprints, clippings, speeches, writings, and ephemera. The collection is especially rich in correspondence; in addition to Hawkins' incoming and outgoing correspondence is the copied correspondence of other Lockheed executives with whom Hawkins worked closely during his tenure. Hawkins' involvement in consulting and professional organizations was often in conjunction with his role at Lockheed, and researchers should thus be aware that materials are often dispersed through the series. For example, materials related to specific committees are frequently represented in both the Correspondence and Consulting Files Series.

Series 1: Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Development, 1963-1966, 1968, 1970-1972, 1975, 1992, n.d. (Box 1 and Oversize Series)

Arranged by subject and chronologically, the series documents Hawkins' term of service as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Development and consists of clippings, photographs, ephemera, and correspondence. Includes six large scrapbooks located in Oversize series.

Series 2: Calendars and Diaries, 1966-1981, 1983-1984, 1995-1998 (Boxes 2-4)

The series contains three distinct forms of calendars and diaries, arranged by format and chronologically. Of particular interest are the diaries (1966-1981, 1983-1984) which contain Hawkins' detailed and extensive daily entries of work activities with personal commentary. Calendars (1980-1983), likely maintained by Hawkins' secretary or assistant, contain brief schedule and appointment notes. Personal calendars (1995-1998) were maintained by Hawkins and contain brief notes of his daily activities, primarily personal, but include work and travel schedules.

Series 3: Consulting Files, 1966-1999, n.d. (Boxes 5-29)

Arranged alphabetically by organization, institution, or corporation, the series consists of agendas, correspondence, meeting materials, memoranda, minutes, notes, organizational charts, papers, presentation materials, and reports that document Hawkins extensive consulting experience with the government, military, and industry establishments. Hawkins' involvement in consulting was often in conjunction with his role at Lockheed, as such, researchers should be aware that materials may be dispersed through the collection. Committees and studies in which Hawkins acted as chairman are best represented in the series. He served as chairman for the National Research Council Strategic Technologies for the Army (STAR) Study, formed with the primary objective "to identify those technological requirements, operational changes, and combat service support structures needed to land and support forces ashore." The bulk of the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) records date from 1976 to 1984, including Hawkins' term as chair from 1982 to 1984. The ASAP assessed the operational plans, procedure, and facilities of the Space Transportation System, including the design and schedule review, space shuttle alternatives review, and risk analysis; frequent correspondents include James Beggs, Gil Roth, Gen. James Abrahamson, Herbert Grier, and Leighton I. Davis. Hawkins also advised NASA programs as member and Chairman of the National Academy of Engineering Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board (ASEB), and as a member of both the National Academy of Sciences Space Applications Board (SAB) and Space Science Board (SSB). The records in the NAE subseries document the relationship between the ASEB, SSB, and SAB, and include detailed meeting summaries and yearly activity reports; frequent correspondents include LaRae L. Teel, George M Low, James C. Fletcher, and Charles H. Townes.

Series 4: Correspondence, 1941-1964, 1966-2001, 2003-2004, n.d. (Boxes 30-50)

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically within, the series contains professional and personal letters, often including attachments of meeting notes, agendas, minutes, papers, blueprints, drawings and clippings. The Chronological subseries, likely maintained by Hawkins' secretaries or assistants, represents the bulk of the series and consists primarily of Hawkins' outgoing correspondence. Compiled by Hawkins, the various subject and Personal correspondence files contain a greater number of incoming letters and memoranda. In addition, copied correspondence or memoranda from or between Lockheed executives throughout Hawkins' tenure are well represented in the series. The distinctions between the subseries are often unclear as there is overlap and duplication of topics and material. As such, researchers should be aware that materials may be dispersed through the series. Likewise, materials in the Correspondence, Consulting Files, and Subject Files series are frequently related and contain corresponding or duplicate documents. Frequent correspondents include Lockheed executives and senior management such as Roy A. Anderson, Lawrence O. Kitchen, and Daniel Tellep, Norman R. Augustine, Carl Haddon, Carl Kotchian, James W. Plummer, Jack Real, Clarence L. Johnson, Ben Rich, Daniel J. Haughton, and Courtland Gross. Frequent correspondents at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company include Eugene Root, Herschel Brown, Stanley Burriss, Louis Ridenour, and James Plummer. The Army, Air Force, and Navy are correspondents within the Department of Defense (DoD) subseries. Topics represented in the series include aircraft (C-141 Starlifter, C-5 Galaxy, AH-56 Cheyenne, L-1011, supersonic transport, stealth, Quiet Aircraft, remotely piloted vehicles, long endurance aircraft), missile systems (tactical, long range, intercontinental, air-to-air, air-to-surface, cruise, Polaris, Ding-Dong), space programs and satellite systems (Discoverer/CORONA, Pioneer Venus, Agena), and projects (Ping-Pong reconnaissance rocket, X-7 ramjet test vehicle, X-17 research rocket). Other topics represented are employee relations, personnel development, and operations at Lockheed, internal and national research and development programs, and liquid hydrogen as an alternate fuel. Noteworthy are Hawkins' weekly, monthly, and yearly activity reports throughout the Chronological subseries, which provide an account of the projects he supervised in detail.

Series 5: Personal Files, 1937, 1941-1954, 1955, 1959, 1961-1994, 1997-2001, 2008-2009, n.d. (Boxes 51-53)

Arranged alphabetically by subject, the series contains awards, financial records, ephemera, correspondence, and clippings. Also documents Hawkins' social memberships, patents, and security clearances.

Series 6: Photographs, 1920, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1939, 1944, 1946, 1947-1948, 1950, 1952, 1954-1955, 1957, 1962-1967, 1969-1971, 1974-1989, 1991-1994, 1999-2000 n.d. (Boxes 54-56)

Arranged alphabetically by subject, the series contains various sized photographs and negatives in black and white and color. Several photographs precede Hawkins' tenure at Lockheed, but capture significant company events, programs, and employees. Photographs originally located in other series within the collection were replaced with photocopies and relocated to the Photographs series.

Series 7: Presentations and Speeches, 1949, 1952-1956, 1958-1962, 1964, 1966-2002, 2004, n.d. (Boxes 57-64)

Arranged chronologically, the series contains notes, correspondence, drafts, and ephemera that document Hawkins' extensive public speaking engagements. Hawkins spoke on a wide range of topics to varied audiences, including aerospace clubs, professional organizations, elementary and university classes, and Lockheed employees. Topics include commercial transport, liquid hydrogen as an alternate fuel, science and technology, the role of engineers, maintaining aerospace leadership, research and development, as well as Lockheed projects and history.

Series 8: Publications and Writings, 1937, 1944, 1950, 1979-1981, 1983-1987, 1992-1993, 1995-1997, 1999-2000, n.d. (Box 65)

The series consists of drafts, papers, correspondence, notes, and clippings and is divided into two subseries, published and unpublished material, and arranged alphabetically by title. Topics include the history and future of Lockheed and aerospace industry projects, management systems, liquid hydrogen as an alternate fuel, public speaking, and memorial tributes. Writings were published in domestic and international journals, magazines, and books, for professionals as well as enthusiasts.

Series 9: Subject Files, 1920, 1929, 1931, 1933, 1935, 1937, 1942, ca. 1944, 1945-1946, ca. 1947-1948, 1951, 1956-1957, 1962, 1964-1986, 1988-2001, 2004, n.d. (Boxes 66-79)

Arranged alphabetically by subject, the series is comprised of correspondence, reports, papers, memoranda, notes and ephemera relating to various Lockheed projects in which Hawkins was involved. Project designations for aircraft, satellites, missiles, etc. changed over time, as such, subseries titles reflect the designations represented in the materials in chronological order. The subjects best represented/illustrated in the series include the C-5A / C-5D / C-5 Galaxy subseries, which documents the 1972 Congressional Hearings and the Corporate Steering Committee chaired by Hawkins, formed to review and guide the efforts of the Task Force assigned to improve the utility of the C-5 for the Air Force; the L-1011 Tristar subseries details the design plans, production of the Rolls Royce RB-211 engine, 1971 Congressional Hearings, and airplane rollout; and the C-130 Hercules subseries contains material regarding the design of the aircraft, litigation issues, and anniversary articles. The Rigid Rotor Helicopters subseries documents the Blue Ribbon Committee technical audit of the AH-56A, the technical design review of a surveillance derivative of AAFSS, and the history of the program; frequent correspondents include Jack G. Real, M. Carl Haddon, and Rudy Thoren. The Hydrogen Fuel subseries documents Hawkins international campaign to use liquid hydrogen as an alternate aircraft fuel and includes the reports and papers of Daniel Brewer, who worked closely with Hawkins. The Lockheed Aircraft Company / Lockheed Corporation / Lockheed Martin subseries documents corporate history through employee newsletters, oral histories, correspondence, clippings, ephemera, photographs, papers, reports, and notes. The Oral Histories subseries is primarily comprised of transcripts of interviews conducted in 1982 by W.D. Perreault as a Lockheed Oral History Project. The discussions explore the early life, education, career of the interviewee. Also described are significant events, developments and projects at Lockheed and in the aerospace industry during the individual's career. The subseries also contains transcripts from interviews of Hawkins in 2000 and Cyril Chappellet's wife, Pat, in 2001.

Series 10: Oversize, 1963-1966, n.d. ( Box 80 and 6 scrapbooks)

The series is comprised of clippings, correspondence, ephemera, photographs, and presentation materials that document Hawkins' term as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Development and contains art work used for presentations related to the use of hydrogen as an alternate fuel.