Al Harting Collection

This collection contains photographs, clippings, articles, press kits, blueprints, articles of incorporation, bulletins, newsletters, correspondence, excerpts, booklets, brochures, narratives, press releases, biographical information, a scrapbook, proclamations, and ephemera created and/or collected by Al Harting in his career as a journalist. The Al Harting Collection is housed in one manuscript box, totaling 0.4 linear ft.

The collection arrived in good condition and was initially processed with only a container list as a description. Due to a change in content management systems, further description proved to be necessary. The archivist kept the original organization intact without any further arrangement. After discovery of more materials, the entire collection was reprocessed with a new arrangement and description. The archivist identified four series with the first series being the World War II Series, which contains photographs of Major General James Millikin Bevans (1899-1977) Commanding General of Army Air Forces Mediterranean, the Douglas A-20 Havoc, North American B-25 Mitchell, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft used by the 12th and 15th United States Army Air Force in World War II in Italy, people, battle damage, and aerial photographs.

The second series is the DFW/Love Field Airports Series, which contains clippings, notes, layout of the airport and runways; “Dallas Tower Dallas Love Field Pilot Bulletin” for the use of second ground control frequencies; articles of incorporation of Love Field Pilots Association, Inc.; correspondence James C. Buckley, Inc. to Honorable R. L. Thornton, Mayor and Member of the City Council regarding the offer of the City of Fort Worth and Fort Worth Air Terminal, Inc. to sell to the City of Dallas parts of the Fort Worth International Airport, including the Thornton’s response to Honorable Edgar Deen, Mayor and City Council of Fort Worth; press releases regarding the historical markers and statuary concerning Love Field by Harting et al; and a booklet The Dallas Story in Air Transportation, in General Aviation, in Aerospace.

This series further contains a loose leaf scrapbook accumulated by Al Harting containing speeches, press releases, correspondence regarding burying a time capsule, proclamation regarding Love Field Re-Dedication Day, correspondence by Roy Cowan regarding time capsule and his experience as flight cadet at Love Field in 1917, address to “Miss Dallas 2017” by “Miss Dallas 1973” Becky Bloomer, address by Captain Bill Alford of Braniff in Conferring Airline Pilots Association Tops Award of the Year on Dallas Aviation Director Howard Megredy, address for 2017 by William F. Long, newsletter Skylights and a microfilm printout of Dallas Moring News from September 28, 1927.

Other materials in this series are a reporter’s working press kit containing press releases, spot announcements regarding Dallas Love Field Terminal opening, and photographs; and a narrative and correspondence regarding the first air-to-ground radio communication at Love Field.

The third series is the People Series, which is further organized into four subseries: 1. Julius E. Witzky, 2. Charles E. Rosendahl, 3. William F. Long, and 4. William D. (Billy) Parker.

Subseries 1. contains correspondence between Harting and Witzky regarding the latter’s views on the causes about the Hindenburg disaster, predictions about the crude oil supply and impact on engine fuel efficiencies, his design of the Mercedes-Benz combustion chamber, his work at the Southwest Research Institute, and Witzky coming to the United States through the Operation Paperclip Program; and article “From Zeppelin Engines to Madonnas,” San Antonio News by Roy L. Swift focusing on Witzky's life.

This subseries further contains articles by Witzky about the Verbund-Diesel engine, articles about the Mercedes Project 2000, clipping about Prof. J. Jehlicka, translation about Witzky’s paper “Das Verbund-Verbrennungsverfahren zwischen Diesel- und Ottomotor” (The Mixed Cycle) in Motortechnische Zeitschrift, photographs, clippings, biographical information, list of Witzky’s publications, travel reports, a photocopy of a postcard written by Witzky depicting the LZ129 in flight and describing his impressions; correspondence regarding Witzky’s nomination as a Fellow to the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.; narrative “Julius E. Witzky, The Philosophies of a Retired Engineer...and Woodcarver” by Jean R. Lange; correspondence between Harting and Southwest Research Institute with Harting requesting contact information about Witzky’s widow for a possible interview; and obituary. Harting collected this information to write a magazine article about Witzky, who designed and engineered the P.T. Boot Diesel 3000 hp engines used on the Hindenburg.

Subseries 2. contains a photocopy of the certificate of the Cleburne High School Wall of Fame, a biographical outline, and a synopsis of Rosendahl’s life.

Subseries 3. contains remarks about Long by L. D. (Red) Wester, Vice President of Lone Star Steel Company; correspondence from the Department of the Air Force to Walt Herrman quoting from Wiener, Willard, Two Hundred Thousand Flyers: The Story of the Civilian-AAF Pilot Training Program, Washington, the Infantry Journal; and an excerpt from the Dallas Aviation School and Air College (D.A.S.), History of Major W. F. Long, by Jane Gowdy, Publicity Agent, D.A.S.

Subseries 4. contains a biographical sketch about Willilam D. Parker.

The fourth series is the Publications Series, which contains an issue of The Stars and Stripes about the end of World War II, an article about Texas A and M University program “A and M effort to unravel Nazi fuel secret may end,” Dallas Times Herald by Andrew Pollack; an article “Airships returning in business blimp form,” Aviation Convention News by Susie Hoffy; a Lockheed brochure The Lockheed Story, Lockheed 30 Years old a look back…a look ahead; and booklet Letters from Daddy, which contains advertisement articles created by Harting.