Robert E. Tozier, 1930, Langley

Barbara’s just found a photograph of my father here, tenth from the right. My Mom is reminded by the picture of his anecdotes of the engineers’ rebellion, their insistence on wearing shorts in the un-airconditioned NACA offices in Virginia, how physically miserable they all were… and how much fun they had. Hotshot pilots flying them to Washington (or farther) for lunch or cocktails; the spirit of adventure; the collection of young engineers at the cusp of aeronautics’ maturity. The Great Depression held at arm’s length by a well-paid government job.

I like to think he would smile with fond recognition to see the kinds of things we’re doing nowadays.