Reference Request
Finding Aids to Personal Papers and Special Collections in the Smithsonian Institution Archives
Accession 18-201
Crouch, Tom D.
Tom D. Crouch Papers, 1942-1946, 1962-2016
Descriptive Entry
This accession consists of the personal papers of Tom D. Crouch, a senior curator of aeronautics at the National Air and Space Museum (NASM). Crouch joined the curatorial staff at NASM in 1974 to assist with preparing exhibitions for the opening of the museum in 1976. In 1985, he transferred to the National Museum of American History (NMAH) where he was a curator and supervisor in the Division of Engineering and Industry, before eventually being appointed Chairman of the Department of Social and Cultural History in 1987. Crouch returned to NASM in 1990 when he was named Chairman of the NASM Department of Aeronautics, a position he held until 1999 when he became Senior Curator. Crouch served on the First Flight Centennial Commission Advisory Board and was active in planning activities for the centennial of the first flight by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright. He also was involved in the planning, development and production activities for the exhibitions A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution and Men and Women: A History of Costume, Gender, and Power at NMAH, as well as for the NASM exhibitions The Flying Roosevelts, NASA/ART: Fifty Years of Exploration, R. G. Smith: The Old Master of the Sky, Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation: 1912-2012, and The Enola Gay, including the resolution of issues surrounding the display of the bomber at the museum. Some materials date to when the department came to be known as the Aeronautics Division and then the Aeronautics Department.
Materials include correspondence, memoranda, and notes; lecture papers; publications; information in regard to advisory boards, conferences, seminars, committees, and special events; meeting agendas; proposals; reports; contracts and agreements; exhibition scripts, floor plans, design information, and visitor comment forms; oral history interview transcripts; press releases, articles, newspaper clippings, and newspapers; photographs, slides, and negatives; appointment books documenting matters in regard to the Enola Gay exhibition controversy; copies of legislation related to aviation; newsletters; collections management information; awards; and brochures.
Index Terms
This collection is indexed under the following access terms. These are links to collections with related topics, persons or places.
Name
- A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution (Exhibition) (1987-2004: Washington, D.C.)
- Crouch, Tom D.
- Enola Gay (Bomber)
- Enola Gay (Exhibition) (1995-1998: Washington, D.C.)
- First Flight Centennial Commission Advisory Board
- Fly Marines! The Centennial of Marine Corps Aviation: 1912-2012 (Exhibition) (2012-2013: Washington, D.C.)
- Men and Women: A History of Costume, Gender and Power (Exhibition) (1989: Washington, D.C.)
- NASA/ART: Fifty Years of Exploration (Exhibition) (2011: Washington, D.C.)
- National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)
- National Air and Space Museum (U.S.). Aeronautics Department
- National Air and Space Museum (U.S.). Aeronautics Division
- National Air and Space Museum (U.S.). Department of Aeronautics
- National Museum of American History (U.S.)
- National Museum of American History (U.S.). Department of Social and Cultural History
- R. G. Smith: The Old Master of the Sky (Exhibition) (2000: Washington, D.C.)
- The Flying Roosevelts (Exhibition) (1982-1983: Washington, D.C.)
- Wright, Orville, 1871-1948
- Wright, Wilbur, 1867-1912
Subject
- Aeronautical museums
- Aeronautics
- Committees
- Congresses and conventions
- Contracts
- Historical museums
- Museum curators
- Museum exhibits
- Museums -- Collection management
- Museums -- Educational aspects
- Special events
- Speeches, addresses, etc.
Physical Characteristics of Materials in the Collection
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 18-201, Tom D. Crouch Papers