Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

MS 141
Robert C. Mikesh (1928-    ), collector
Iowa Aviation Collection, 1877-1964, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

Mikesh, Robert C. (1928-    ), collector
title:

Iowa Aviation Collection
dates:

1877-1964, undated
extent:

3.01 linear feet (2 document boxes, 1 oversize box, 1 map case folder, and 1 glass plate negative box)
collection number:

MS 141
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Materials in boxes 1-3 are open for research use. Glass plate negatives in box 4 are restricted; permission of the Head, Special Collections is required for access
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

Iowa Aviation Collection, MS 141, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Biographical note

Robert C. Mikesh was born in Ottumwa, Iowa, on February 24, 1928 and resided there until joining the U.S. Air Force in 1949. Aviation had always been his avid hobby, and it was during these early years of his life that he collected this material on aviation matters in Iowa.

Mr. Mikesh served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, during which time he was assigned for eight years in the Far East and Southeast Asia. In Vietnam, he served as an Air Liaison Officer with VNAF for part of that time.

His military experience included flying night intruder B-26s with the 17th Bombardment Wing in Korea, and serving as a Forward Air Controller while flying O-2As with the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron in Vietnam. With an accumulation of 9000 flying hours in many types of aircraft, his high-time aircraft is the Martin B-57 Canberra, flown at various assignments over a 15 year span.

After retirement from the Air Force in 1970, Mr. Mikesh fulfilled a near lifetime ambition by joining the staff of the National Air and Space Museum. His responsibilities in this capacity included ensuring that the aircraft being restored for the museum were complete and exact in every detail ranging from internal accessories and structural repair, to exterior colors and markings. Adding historical and technologically significant aircraft to the Museum’s collection was also one of his duties.

As an author, he is a frequent contributor to various aviation magazines on diverse aeronautical subjects. His best known specialty, however, deals generally with Japanese aviation subjects. He was written twelve aviation books, including Zero Fighter and The B-57 Canberra at War.

 

Collection description

This collection (1877-1964, undated) contains material related to aviation in Iowa collected by Robert C. Mikesh. The material includes printed matter, photographs (including 11 glass plate negatives), correspondence, scrapbooks, and newspaper clippings. Much of the material relates to aviation in Ottumwa, Iowa, including the Naval Air Station and the Ottumwa airport.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 1 no. 9, 11, 19-20; v. 2 no. 1, 3, 5-21

1943-1944

1

2

Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 3, no. 1-10, 12-13, 15, 18-24

1945

1

3

Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 4, no. 1-20

1946

1

4

Iowings Newsletter (U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa), v. 5, no. 1-3

1947

1

5

Naval Air Station, Ottumwa: Station History

undated

1

6

Naval Air Station, Ottumwa: Telephone Directories

1945, undated

1

7

Newspaper clippings

undated

1

8

Photographs: Prints of glass plate negatives and aerial image of Cedar Rapids Iowa (7- 5x7 and 1- 8x10 b/w photographs)

undated

1

9-10

Photographs: Airport at Ottumwa (1- 3.75x4.75, 26- 5x7, and 2- 8x10 b/w photographs)

1928-1943, undated

1

11-12

Photographs: Ottumwa area including airport (1- 3.5x4.5, 3- 3.5x5.5, 1- 3.75x5.5, 1- 2x8.25, 1- 4x6.75, 6- 4.75x6.75, 1- 5.5x7.25, 1- 6.5x7.5, 1- 5.75x9, 1- 6.25x7.75, 1- 7.5x9, 1- 7x10, 1- 7x9, and 2- 8x10 b/w photographs)

1938-1939, undated

2

1-4

Photographs: From the Frank Wallace Collection (3- 2.75x3.25, 3- 2.5x3.5, 7- 2.75x4.5, 4- 3.25x4.25, 1- 3.25x4, 4- 3.5x4.5, 2- 3x4.75, 1- 3.25x5.25, 1- 4x5, 9- 3.5x5.75, 1- 3.5x5.5, 4- 4.25x6.25, 50- 5x7, and 1- 7x9 b/w photographs)

1919-1941, undated

2

5

Welfare and Recreation Bulletin (Naval Air Station)

1919-1941, undated

2

6

Correspondence and list of towns covered by aerial views

undated

3

1

Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs about aviation in and around Ottumwa; includes material related to Ottumwa Centennial Celebration (1946) and "Wings of Wapello" pageant (1- 3.5x5, 1- 6.25x10, 11- 5x7, and 22- 8x10 b/w photographs)

1928-1950, undated

3

2

Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs about the Naval Air Station in Ottumwa (17- 8x10 and 1- 11x14 b/w photographs)

1942-1947, undated

map case

C406 D09

General Lay-Out Plan, U.S. Naval Air Station, Ottumwa, Iowa (separated from scrapbook in folder 3/2)

1943

3

3

Newspaper clippings: Aviation (general)

1877-1964, undated

3

4-5

Newspaper clippings: Aerial views of Ottumwa and other towns in Iowa

1946-1956, undated

4

1

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: 3 biplanes

undated

4

2

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: 2 biplanes

undated

4

3

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: 1 biplane (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

4

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: 2 men (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

5

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Female pilot next to biplane (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

6

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

7

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

8

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Male pilot in plane (see print in 1/8)

undated

4

9

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane flying over a river

undated

4

10

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane on ground with pilot

undated

4

11

C. P. Oleson glass plate negatives: Biplane on ground with pilot (see print in 1/8)

undated