Thoughts from Airline Executives – 1970s Style

By William Demarest

All of us have our own stories on how we became addicted to collecting memorabilia and learning about airline histories. My own interest started in the early 1970s when my father went on a business trip to Japan and brought home a postcard of a Japan Air Lines 747 – which I still have to this day!

From there, I worked as a travel agent during high school (CRS systems were in their infancy – we manually wrote all tickets and used paper tariffs) and eventually had a 20-year career with United Airlines.

In the 1970s, I started writing to airline executives asking about their job roles and their thoughts on the airline industry. Remember, these were the days before email and the internet. Surprisingly, I received many replies from several well-known figures in the airline industry who, much to my surprise, took the time to respond to a nerdy teenager in Connecticut.

Here are a few of the responses to share with you. I don’t recall exactly what questions I asked in my letters, but you will get the gist based on their responses.

Let’s go. Happy reading!

Edward Carlson was chairman of United Airlines from 1971 to 1979, after UAL Corporation acquired Westin Hotels. Can you imagine a CEO nowadays taking the time to compose a 4-page letter? Unfortunately, I only have a copy of his response to me – the original letter disappeared during one of my many relocations over the years.

After I joined United Airlines in 1986, I dug out Mr. Carlson’s response from 1976 and sent him an
updated letter along with a copy of his original letter. What a wonderful reply!

Bernard Sweet started with Wisconsin Central Airlines in 1944 and stayed with the airline, then known as North Central Airlines, up through the merger with Southern and Hughes Air West before retiring in 1984.

Stephen M. Wolf was better known as the Chairman of United Airlines (Allegis Corp), 1987-1994, but before this role, he was president of Republic Airlines from 1979 to 1984. I must have experienced a good flight on Republic. I wonder if Mr. Wolf was aware that he was giving drink coupons to a minor?

Of course, everyone knows PSA Pacific Southwest Airlines!

Arthur F. “Walt” Kelly started with Western Air Lines in 1944 and ended his career as Chairman of the airline when Western merged into Delta Air Lines in 1986.

Braniff International. Unfortunately, Harding Lawrence didn’t respond to my request, but I did receive a nice letter from C. Edward Acker, BN’s President.

By far, the one CEO who really made my day was the two-page personal reply from Eastern Air Lines’ Frank Borman. You may know his name from his earlier career soaring around the world in space with NASA.

I received responses from the CEO Charles C. Tillinghast, Jr., and President F.C. Wiser of TWA Trans World Airlines in 1976 and 1974, respectively.

From American Airlines, Albert V. Casey was CEO and President from 1974 to 1985. Mr. Casey went on to become the US Postmaster General under President Ronald Reagan.

The stationery used by O.F. Benecke from Alaska Airlines was just as colorful as the airline – even in the 1970s.

Unfortunately, I didn’t receive a personal response from Louis Bergman “Bud” Maytag, Jr.,  of National Airlines, but Robin M. Mattel, VP of Public Relations, was kind enough to reply on his behalf.

Frank W. Hulse, President of Southern Airways, extended a personal invitation to visit their facilities in Atlanta in his letter dated January 8, 1975. I was never able to take him up on his offer. Frank Hulse was the founder and former chairman of Southern Airways from 1944 until the airline’s merger with North Central Airlines in 1979 to form Republic Airlines.

Lastly, I received two letters from Delta Air Lines. One in 1974 from David C. Garrett Jr., President of Delta Air Lines, and a letter from George E. Shedd, Assistant VP of Public Relations.

Hopefully, you’ve enjoyed this reading trip down ‘Executive Lane’ from the major carriers of the
1970s!

Editor’s Note:
As you can see above, we had our unique ways of gathering information from airlines back in the days before the modern technology at our fingertips today. Letters were written, and you never knew what kinds of goodies you might get in return. The letters shared above are priceless as they represent a time when airline executives took the time to answer them at length or with just a few lines. Little did they know the impact one letter to a budding enthusiast might have.

Today, that probably wouldn’t happen. As a collector myself, back in the mid-1970s, I picked up the telephone and called the airlines’ toll-free reservations lines. It often resulted in packages of treasures containing anything from airline schedules to brochures, postcards, photos, and a variety of other items that their public relations department had on hand. To this day, I still have some of those materials.

-Gary C. Orlando, Editor, Captain’s Log.