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Smithsonian To Save EB Records

Proposes EB Plaque For Air Museum
During his address at the San Francisco Reunion, Mr. Philip Hopkins outlined the plans for the new Air Museum for which land has already been allocated on the Mall at Washington opposite the Art Museum. His emphasis on the part the Early Birds are playing in providing exhibit for the Museum lends support to the following proposal submitted by F. V. duPont:
"It does occur to me that if a substantial number of the living members wish to perpetuate their actions, it might be desirable to consider having a bronze plaque made on which would appear the names of all members of the organization and present such plaque to the Smithsonian Institution or a similar organization. 
"I would be quite willing to subscribe to such an effort if it were acceptable to the majority of the membership."
All members are urged to write to Charlie Arens expressing their views regarding this proposal. The cost of such a plaque has not been definitely determined; however, it would be helpful to also know whether or not you would participate in the support of a project of this kind.

KEEP THE NEWS COMING
Chirp depends upon individual members of Early Birds to send in news regarding themselves and fellow EB's. If you have news of interest, mail it in. Chirp is interested in pictures, too.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS
If you move or change your address at any time, report it immediately to the Chirp, 222 E. Main St., Winamac, Ind.

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
National Air Museum
Washington 25, D. C.
The Smithsonian Institution, National Air Museum, is tremendously pleased to have been designated as the official depository for Early Bird records and historical materials.
The Early Birds made a lot of aeronautical history. It is our responsibility to preserve and record it. We consider the recorded exploits and achievements of Early Birds in the field of flight as a prime resource of aviation history. We need your cooperation and assistance.
We have placed a special folder in our Reference Files for each Early Bird. Many of these folders have nothing in them. Some have a clipping, a photograph, a certificate, or other meager information. A few contain rather complete historical or biographical information.
It is our desire to fill each of these folders with available information about the individual Early Bird and his contributions to aeronautical history. This information may take many forms -- photographs, scrapbooks, albums, records, letters, clippings, logs, maps, drawings, sketches, licenses, certificates, reports, etc.
We are also interested in receiving historic specimens of early flight history -- for possible display purpose. All items received by us will be carefully preserved and will become a part of the great National Aeronautical Collections, available to the researchers and historians of the present and future. We will be grateful for your cooperation.
May I extend a cordial invitation to you to visit our Museum and Office when you are in Washington? I would like to meet you personally, and Mr. Paul E. Garber, our Head Curator and Historian, who is also Archivist and Historian of the Early Birds, will be pleased to greet you.
Sincerely yours,
PHILIP S. HOPKINS
Director

[[image - 11 men and 1 woman stand behind a banner with the Early Birds logo]]
Behind an Early Bird Banner and wearing the checkered caps that identify them as members of the organization are these EB's who were among those at the 1960 San Francisco reunion. Early Birds from coast to coast attended the event.

Former Vice President Dies in October
[[image - professional portrait photograph of Roderick M. Wright]]
RODERICK M. WRIGHT
To use his phrase, Roderick M. Wright slipped over the edge on October 13, 1960. Death came unexpectedly following an undefined illness of some six months that was characterized by gradual weakness and loss of appetite. Pete Goff, Charlie Arens, Bill Denehie, Stan Vaugh, George Page and Howard Wehrle were honorary pallbearers at the services held in Washington, Indiana, on the 16th.
Rod had learned to fly at Wright Brothers School at Dayton, Ohio, soloing on July 28, 1913, with Grover Loening as his observer and was issued FIA License No. 254.
After instructing at the Wright School, he flew for the Sturdevant Company; was a civilian test pilot for the Army at Langley Field and the Stinson Company; flew the Ford Freight line, the original "Terraplane" and some exhibition flying, all of which gave him 20 years of professional flying some 200 kinds of planes.
He returned to the farm at Washington which he took a great pride in saying only the Wrights and the Indians had ever owned.
World War II brought him another stint into the flying field with contracts to drop-test parachutes. Some 5,000 chutes were tested on the farm under those contracts.
He served two terms in the Indiana House of Representatives and was on the commission to establish the Wilbur Wright Memorial at the original home site near Millville, Indiana.

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