Lester D. Seymour Collection (NASM.XXXX.0455), NASM.XXXX.0455-M0000003-00790
Major Lester D. Seymour (1892-1976) was involved in both the military and commercial sides of aviation. Seymour rose to the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, Aero Engineer-Officer, 85th Aero Squadron during World War I. After the war, he became involved in the Civilian Aero Engineer US Air Service and in the Air Corps Reserve. In 1926, Seymour became involved with the commercial airlines industry. He started as the Chief Engineer at National Air Transport, and later become NAT's Vice President and General Manager. He was also briefly the Vice President of United Air Lines after their 1933 takeover of NAT. From 1933-1934 Seymour was appointed President of American Airlines.
This collection consists of the following: copies of the National Air Transport Inc. (NAT) newsletter, "NAT Flypaper", 1928 - 1933; "Survey of Projected Airmail Routes" 1926; annual reports for both NAT and American Airways (later American Airlines); NAT photographs; NAT Regulations; "A Study of Transportation by Airway as related to Competition with Rail Carriers in Continental United States", 1932; NAT Bulletin Board; and the American Airlines Procedures Manual for 1934. In June of 1999, six films were found in the Film Archives that were part of this donation. The films, evidently taken by Seymour during his airline travels, have the following titles: West (Part 1 and 2); Phoenix to Los Angles; Flying Across America with United Airlines in 28 Hours; Memphis to Phoenix; and American Airways: Chicago - New York.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
The Lester D. Seymour Collection is arranged by content type.
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Lester D. Seymour, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0455.
Lester D. Seymour Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0455, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Arranged, described, and encoded by Patti Williams, 1992, updated 2014. Revised and digital assets attached by Allan Janus, 2020.
NASMrev
National Air Transport (NAT) "Fly Paper"
National Air Transport (NAT) "Fly Paper"
National Air Transport (NAT) "Fly Paper"
National Air Transport (NAT) "Fly Paper"
National Air Transport (NAT) "Fly Paper"
"Survey of Projected Airmail Routes - Chicago to Dallas, Chicago to Minneapolis, Chicago to St. Louis, Circa 1926"
"Summary of National Air Transport Activity as of March 1, 1929 by Lester D. Seymour, General Manager"
"Annual Report to the Executive Committee of National Air Transport, Inc. for the Year 1929"
"Annual Report to the Executive Committee of National Air Transport, Inc. for the Year 1930"
National Air Transport (NAT) photographs
Miscellaneous National Air Transport (NAT) material
National Air Transport (NAT) Regulations
American Airways, Inc. [company activities]
[American Airlines Procedures Manual, 1934]
"A Study of Transportation by Airway as Related to Competition with Rail Carriers in Continental United States" - Security Owners Association
"A Study of Transportation by Airway as Related to Competition with Rail Carriers in Continental United States" - Security Owners Association [bound copy]
"NAT Bulletin Board" [Newsletter]