James S. Kippen Air Traffic Control/PATCO Strike Collection

This collection contains documents, newspaper articles, federal government publications, legal memoranda, newsletters, personnel records, and other information related to Jim Kippen's career as a professional air traffic controller with the FAA, his involvement in the PATCO Strike of 1981, his legal actives in the wake of his firing by the Federal Government, and newspaper clippings documenting the PATCO Strike and its legacy on aviation safety. The James S. Kippen Air Traffic Control/PATCO Strike Collection is housed in six manuscript boxes, one half-size manuscript box, and two non-standard boxes of various sizes totaling 6.5 linear ft.

The collection arrived in good condition and the processing archivist identified ten series:

The first series is the James S. Kippen Personal Documents series, which consists of James S. Kippen’s employment records, records of his termination, a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA), personal biographical information, and certificates related to a number of aviation clubs and organizations of which Kippen was a member.

The second series is the Andrews Tower (Andrews Air Force Base) series, which includes operations manuals for Andrews Tower, roster sheets, and information about PATCO activities at the tower.

The third series is the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) series, which holds material related to the operation of the PATCO union including correspondence, reports, information on strike planning, individual chapter newsletters, and issues of PATCO Lives, a newsletter created by the fired air traffic controllers in the wake of PATCO's decertification, to coordinate activities of former members.

The forth series is the United States Air Traffic Controllers Organization (USATCO) series, which contains bylaws, organizing documents, surveys, newsletters, and information on USATCO, a short lived union that took PATCO's place after the latter's decertification.

The fifth series is the PATCO Air Traffic Controller Strike series, which houses material related to the strike of PATCO controllers that began on August 3rd, 1981, and is further organized into four subseries. 1. Correspondence Regarding the PATCO Strike, 2. PATCO Strike Media Coverage, 3. Federal Government Responses to the PATCO Strike, and 4. PATCO Strike Miscellanea.

Subseries 1. includes correspondence from pilots, agents of the FAA, United States Senators and Representative, PATCO officials, and concerned citizens discussing the effects of the PATCO strike on aviation.

Subseries 2. consists of the text of an editorial by NBC News Anchor Jim Vance on the PATCO Strike, and information on episodes of ABC News, Meet the Press, and NBC Magazine related to PATCO.

Subseries 3. Federal Government Responses to the PATCO Strike holds hearing reports, memoranda, witness statements, and other documents issued by the FAA, National Transportation and Safety Board (NTSB) the White House, the U.S. House of Representatives, The U.S. Senate, and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in response to the PATCO strike.

Subseries 4. PATCO Strike Miscellanea contains numerous materials about the PATCO strike, a window decal, pictures, and a statement on F. Lee Bailey's involvement with PATCO.

The sixth series is the Fired PATCO Controllers Case Versus the Merit System Protection Board (MSPB) series, which contains legal memoranda, forms, affidavits, and other documents generated by the PATCO controller’s attempts to have their positions reinstated and receive civil service benefits.

The seventh series is the PATCO Strike and Aviation Safety News Clippings series, which consists of photocopies, and some originals, of newspaper articles from the years 1981 to 1989 related to either the PATCO strike or aviation safety.

The eighth series is the Artifacts series, which includes a PATCO coffee mug, the PATCO Charter for Chapter 257 Andrews Tower, numerous buttons sporting pro-strike slogans, window decals, a set of plotters used by an air traffic controller, and a copy of the controllers labor agreement with the FAA.

The ninth series is the Editorial Cartoons about the PATCO Strike and Aviation Safety series, which contains a collection of newspaper editorial page cartoons collected from a number of newspapers that refer to the either the PATCO Strike or shortcomings in aviation safety.

The tenth series is the Oversize series, which houses several large posters, picket signs, and other material created and carried by PATCO members and supporters during the strike.