Pan American World Airways
"The World's Most Experienced Airline"
1942-1957
Some History!
Juan Terry Trippe
[1898-1981]
One of the founders and first
CEO
Pan American Airways later Pan American World Airways, (Pan Am) was a
former american airline. Founded in 1927 and, up until the final two
decades of the 20th century, had service to cities in many countries in North
and South America, the Caribbean Islands, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle
East.
From 1984 it was governed by the holding company Pan Am Corporation. From
1986, in financial distress, its routes and services came to be drastically
reduced.
Then, in 1991 after 64 years of pioneering, Pan Am finally succumbed to years
of crushing financial pressures.
The Aircrafts ...
Sikorsky S-42
-32 seats
-150 mph
Curtiss C-46
-40 seats
-170 mph
Douglas DC-4
-44 seats
-215 mph
Douglas DC-6-b
-88 seats
-315 mph
Boeing 727
-94 seats
-580 mph
Boeing 747
-370 seats
-589 mph
The Records!
The Special Collections of University of Miami Libraries is home to the
Pan American World Airways, Inc. (Pan Am) Records. From Pan Am's founding
in 1927 through its closing in 1991
The records of Pan Am include administrative and financial files; technical,
mechanical and research reports; extensive public relations and promotional
materials; internal publications including newsletters, journals and press
releases; and other materials. Extensive photograph files, albums and scrapbooks
also document the world-wide history of Pan Am, as a pioneer in the development
of aviation equipment, air routes, commercial passenger service, navigation
techniques and communication systems.
The Pan Am collection is available for research. It consist of approximately
1,500 cubic feet of files. A preliminary, folder-level inventory provides
a brief overview of the contents of the files. While this inventory is not
available online, we will be happy to assist you with your research needs.
Please send your queries to asc.library@miami.edu.
In addition to the Pan Am Records, they house other collections related to
Pan Am and aviation such as the records of World Wings International and
Clipper Pioneers, the papers of former Pan Am employees such as Humphrey
W. Toomey, Ione Wright, and oral history interviews conducted by Valerie
Lester.
Special Collections Division
University of Miami Libraries
1300 Memorial Drive 8th floor
Coral Gables, FL 33146
Phone: (305) 284-3247
Fax: (305) 284-4027
Memorabilia
1948 Pan Am QSL
Card KP4DV
Baggage Label
1960's Kiddie Wings
Boeing 747
Maintenance Patch
1930 Route Map
Ashtray
Destination Pin
1950's Stock certificate
Passenger Bag
Accidents
A Tragic Good Friday
On April 11, 1952. Pan American flight 526-A, a DC-4 named "Clipper Endeavor"
with 64 passengers and 5 crew personnel, lifted off from the Isla Grande airport bound for New York.
Shortly after take-off two of the four engines failed and the Captain informed
the control tower that he could not maintain altitude and that he was ditching
at a point approximately seven miles north northwest of Isla Grande.
The aircraft then crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. The ditching took place
in turbulent seas. The tail broke off on impact and the aircraft stayed afloat
for only 3 minutes and sank. Only 17 of the 64 passengers and 5 crew
personnel were found and rescued.
There is an old ballad written by composer Rafael Hernandez describing the
tragic event. The song reads:
Tragedia del Viernes Santos
Composer: Rafael Hernandez
Intérprete [sung by]: Trio Vegabajeño
[Fernandito,
Jorge, Benito and Pepito]
Todos
salieron contentos y
con la esperanza de un viaje feliz
no esperaban el momento
que crueles tormentos
pudieran surgir
Era mi on en porfia?
por mas que queria altura ganar
subir, subir no podia y se presentia
lo que iba a pasar
con un motor inservible ya no
era posible la ruta correr
otro motor se resiste y se
hace imposible a tierra volver
cae en las aguas bravias
y frente al vigia del morro en San Juan
viendo a su patria querida
llenitos de vida cayeron al mar.
Que triste fue el viernes santos
que horas de angustia y dolor
hay, sufrieron nuestros hermanos
que volaban a New York
sufrieron nuestros hermanos
que volaban a New York
En brazos de su papito
a un pobre niñito el mar se llevo
y el dice llorando sus cuitas
que vio dos manitas diciendole adios.
y aquella familia Brignoni
que aquel viernes santos
su islita dejo
diciendole adios a sus campos
sin saber que daban el ultimo adios
una valiente señora a un niño
que llora sus brazos le echo
y en lucha contra las olas
la noble señora al niño salvo.
Lloremos, lloremos, lloremos
de nuestros hermanos la fatalidad
que Dios acoja en su seno
a los que se fueron a la eternidad
Que triste fue el viernes santos
que horas de angustia y dolor
hay, sufrieron nuestros hermanos
que volaban a New York
sufrieron nuestros hermanos
que volaban a New York
Que Viernes Santos mas triste.
++++++
[Click on arrow to play the song]
Down into the San Juan Bay
Flying boat Airliner
On October 03, 1941 at 5:48 pm, a Sikorsky S-42B (flying boat) on a
flight from Miami, FL to San Juan, PR, went down
into the San Juan Bay with 15 passengers and 6 crew personnel. Among the
passengers, there were four Puerto Ricans. Read all about it on the following newspaper clippings:
4 Oct 1941
4 Oct 1941
4 Oct 1941
6 Oct 1941
4 Oct 1941
6 Oct 1941
7 Oct 1941
Clippings from the now defunct "El Mundo" newspaper
are courtesy of
Luis A. Atiles Thillet.
PASSENGERS AND CREW LIST
Passengers
Evelyn Baring, London
Tomas Thornton, Buncombe, IL
Marcus Helitzer, NY
Walter M. Bond, Philadelphia, PA
Lawrence F. Kenling, Franklyn, MA
Thomas D. Price, NY
Mrs. W. Joan Herrick, Cedarhurt, Long Island
Arthur Hogan, Baton Rouge, LA
Allen S. Hadley, Orange, NJ
Lawrence Ritchie, Melrose, MA
Clarence Houson, Pekin, IL
Albertina Serralles, San Juan
Roberto Colon, San Juan, merchant
Angel R. De Jesus, Supreme Court judge and wife
Mrs. De Jesus, San Juan
Dr. Rafael Bernabe, San Juan
Arsenio Martinez, Mayagüez, merchant
Angelina Russo, San Juan
† Susan Russo, 1 yr.
† Marie Russo, 3
yrs.
Frederick Russo, 5 yrs.
Crew
Capitán C. A. Larber, pilot
H. Breux, 1st officer
W. Mahoney, radio operator
Joseph Catala, flight attendant
A. Calligieri or Gallagher, flight attendant
J. D. Donnelly, flight attendant
The Passengers
Our members can review the names on this database. Names came from the
Pan American Airways Passenger Manifests but only what is available to
us. This means that it might not be a complete list of passengers.
Luggage label for
Pan American Airways
System, circa 1933
Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York,
1897-1957; National Archives [NARA] Microfilm Publication T715, 8892
rolls); Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service;
Washington, DC
portal to Puerto Rico
Genealogy!
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Our members can review the names on this database. Names came from the
Pan American Airways Passenger Manifests but only what is available to
us. This means that it might not be a complete list of passengers.