Ivan H. Brooks Collection on Flyin' Frolic

Collection

Identifier: H009-63

Staff Only

Scope and Content

This collection contains photographs, ephemera, brochures, programs, military records, and clippings that were created and/or collected by Ivan H. Brooks during his military career and his participation at the Flying Frolic air show in Dallas, Texas. The Ivan H. Brooks Collection on Flying Frolic is housed in two boxes of various sizes totalling 1.6 linear ft.

The value of this collection is found in the photographs, most of which are dated 1918. In particular, the photographs record personnel, activities, and aircraft associated with the Flying Frolic, held on the 12th and 13th of November 1918, at Dallas Love Field.

Proceeds from the aviation carnival were used for recreation quarters for aviators stationed at the Advanced Flying School of the American Air Service. To date, these 250 photographs are among the earliest depicting military aviation activities at Love Field. Other Texas materials include photographs and a publication from Call Field Wichita Falls, Texas.

Box, 1, Folder 1 contains a souvenir program.

Folder 2 contains a souvenir edition of the The Love Field Loops.

Folder 3 through 5 contain images depicting grandstands and Midway, crowds arriving via train and automobile; aircraft flying in formation; visiting aircraft on display; commanding officers Gen. Cochran, Camp Bowie; Major Sneed, Love Field; and Lt. Col Clagget, Kelly Field. Activities include Monte Carlo, cabaret, and car auction. Events include parachute jumps and flying formations.

Folder 6 through 10 depict the Air Service Flying School at Love Field. Personnel are student officers Lt. Wm. T. Campbel; mechanics; images of the aircraft, in which the world’s loop record was set, (151 consecutive loops); and Major A. L. Sneed, C.O., in Curtiss JN-4 with OX-5 football team. Facilities are officers quarters, club, YMCA, recruiting station, dope house, aero repair, and engine and machine shops. Maintenance facilities are garbage station, oil station, water cooling, loading crane, and tractors.

Folder 11 Love Field landing field.

Folder 12 depicts visiting engineers and pilots, and ambulance and hospital ship Curtiss JN-4.

Folder 13 depicts a car accident on Hall Street and street scenes.

Folder 14 through 15 depict aircraft accidents at Love Field, Dallas.

Folder 16 through 18 depict aircraft accidents in the North Texas Region: Addison, Arlington, Carrollton, Cleburne, Denison, Denton, Leonard, McKinney, Rockwell, and Richardson.

Folder 19 contains clippings about Ivan H. Brooks.

Folder 20 contains images depicting Ivan H. Brooks during his military career.

Folder 21 content was removed for Institute of Texan Cultures Texas Aviation Exhibition, 1982-05-17. Item is missing, 2018-11-20.

Folder 22 through 23 contain military orders and certificates.

Folder 24 contains an image dedicated to Vernon H. Ramsey and signed by James H. Doolittle. The other image depicts of a group of men clad either in European style suites, or Saudi Arabian kaftans, with ghutras and egals in front of two Grumman G-21 Goose airplanes, No. 41 and No. 34 from the Texaco Oil Company, tail number NC 3500 and TWA Texas.

Box 2, Folder 1 contains a photograph of the U.S. Army School of Military Aeronatuics, at Cornell Universtiy, Ithaca, NY.

Dates

Creation: 1917 - 1945
Creation: Majority of material found within 1917 - 1918

Creator

Brooks, Ivan H., Mr. (Ivan Homer) (1897-1969) (Collector, Person)

Language of Materials

Collection is in English.

Access Restrictions

Materials in this collection are open for research.

Literary Rights Statement

Permission to publish material from this collection in any form, current or future, must be obtained from the Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Biographical Sketch

Ivan Homer Brooks was born in Honesdale, PA either in 1897 or 1898. He attended Honesdale High School.

At the age of nineteen, Brooks was living in Binghamton, NY, where he taught a YMCA class in elementary electricity and played guard on the Centenary basketball team. During his employment as Assistant Manager of Willard Service Station, he enlisted with his parents’ permission at the age of twenty in the United States Army Air Services. In November 1917, Brooks was scheduled to enter pilot training at Mineola, Long Island, for battle and observation planes. Instead, he was sent to the US Army School of Military Aeronautics at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY.

On February 28, 1918, Brooks received orders as a Flying Cadet to proceed to Camp Dick, Aviation Concentration Camp, Dallas, TX for training. Special Order # 9 from Call Field Headquarters, Wichita Falls, TX, lists Brooks as a Private ordered “to participate regularly and frequently in aerial flights from July 1, 1918…to August, 21, 1918.”

During November 12th to 13th, 1918, Brooks participated in Flyin' Frolic, an aviation carnival to raise money for recreation quarters for aviators stationed at Love Field. The souvenir book, which lists Brooks as a student officer, states, “Love Field is one (of two) of the Advanced Flying Schools of the American Air Service…and the students are all officers who have received their Reserve Military Aviator wings.”

Among the various flying courses are night flying, aerial combat, accuracy tests, and advanced acrobatics. Love Field includes a stage of “upside-down flying.” Upon leaving the facility, the aviators are assigned to advanced training fields in the country or abroad.

On January 31, 1922, Brooks was appointed Second Lieutenant, Air Service, Officers’ Reserve Corps. In 1928, Brooks was a member of the Aero Club of Atlantic City and served on the Program Committee. In addition, he wrote articles about the Club’s history. Every Wednesday, he had an aviation broadcast on the radio station WPG. From 1929 through 1935, Brooks served in the Reserves, until his commission lapsed.

Sources

Source: Ivan H. Brooks Collection on Flying Frolic, Military Records, Folder 23, Box 1, History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Extent

1.6 Linear Feet (One half-size manuscript box and one non-standard box (17x11.5x3).)

Additional Description

Abstract

Ivan H. Brooks enlisted in the United States Army Air Services in November of 1917. The following year in November, 1918, Brooks participated in Flyin' Frolic, an aviation carnival to raise money for recreation quarters for aviators stationed at Love Field at Dallas, Texas.

Series Description

The archivist kept the original organization intact without any further arrangement.

Custodial History

Originally, the materials were donated to The University of Texas in Austin, Texas and transferred to The University of Texas at Dallas and are now part of the History of Aviation Archives, Special Collections and Archives Division, Eugene McDermott Library, The University of Texas at Dallas.

Provenance Statement

The Ivan H. Brooks Collection on Flying Frolic was donated to The University of Texas at Austin, by Ivan H. Brooks, in 1963.

Additional Sources

Additional information can be found in the History of Aviation Archives in the following collections:

History of Aviation Archives and the George H. Williams, Jr. World War I Aviation Library.

Image ID

It is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission from copyright holders of materials to which this institution does not own copyright.

Images in this collection are identified by a unique number that provides information about the format, record group, collection, series, box, folder, and image numbers. Please use this number when ordering reproductions of images from this collection.

Record Group Code

1 = CAT/Air American Archives

2 = Doolittle Archives

3 = Lighter than Air Archives

4 = George H. Williams, Jr., World War I Aviation Library

5 = History of Aviation Archives

6 = University Archives

7 = HAC Stacks

8 = WPRL Stacks

9 = Cecil H. and Ida M. Green Collection

10 = Belsterling Collection

11 = Closed Stacks

12 = Unidentified

13 = Chance Vought Archives

14 = Twirly Birds Archives

Image Format Code

P = Photograph/Postcard

S = Slide

N = Negative

T = Positive Transparency

B = Black and White

C = Color

Example: 5IHB-1-1-PB1

5 = History of Aviation Archives

IHB = Ivan H. Brooks Collection on Flying Frolic

= Series Number

1 = Box Number

1 = Folder Number

P = Photograph/Postcard

B = Black and White

1 = Image Number

Images archived in plastic image holders may also have a location code in the format: 1/TL. In this example, the number is the sheet number and the letters indicate the top left position on the sheet. Position indicators are T = top, L = left, R = right, M = middle, and B = bottom. Position indicators may be combined to describe the position on the sheet, as shown in this example.

Missing Item

Folder 20 content was removed for Institute of Texan Cultures Texas Aviation Exhibition, 1982-05-17. Item is missing, 2018-11-20.

Note to the Researcher

Some of the materials belonging to Ivan H. Brooks were found in the Ed Rice Collection. They were removed from there and incorporated into this collection.