The Maryville Aviation Club, formed in 1940 to make and fly model airplanes, had to split into two groups: junior and senior high school. The above image is from a very poor-quality copy published by the Forum and is AI-generated and colorized. The faces probably do not match reality.
Aviation Enthusiasts at Maryville High
The Maryville Daily Forum, May 18, 1940, Page 2. via Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-maryville-daily-forum-aviation-club/197390595/
Members of the MHS Aviation Club are shown around the skeleton of their gas engine airplane. They are: left to right, Fred Ellis, Bill Robbins, Glen Moon, Gerald Lugar, Edwin Ogden, Bob Terry, Giles Henggler, Maurice Wheeler, •Dale Filey, Fred• Stephens, Vern Markham, Bob Staley, Robert McDougal and Bill Hooper.
Await Favorable Weather to Give Their Gas Engine Airplane a Try
MHS boys who are members of the Aviation Club are waiting for favorable conditions. weather conditions to give ‘their six-foot gas engine airplane ‘ a send-off.
Early last fall, the group collectively purchased parts for the model airplane. It was also built by the enthusiastic boys, who divided into two groups to facilitate the plane’s construction. One group made the wings’ fuselage. The other division constructed the tall rudder.
Each part was cut to scale from balsa wood and glued into the proper place. The plane, which is a six-foot model, is powered with a one-horsepower motor capable of 8.000 revolutions per minute. It has been tested and will be turned loose sometime this week.
Many smaller rubber-powered planes have been made individually by members of the club. For several years, a number of MHS pupils have been building airplane models as a hobby.
This year, an aviation club was organized and scheduled to meet once a week.
There was so much interest in the club that it became necessary to divide the members into two groups -a senior high school group and a junior high school group.
Kenneth Thompson, manual training instructor, has worked with the Junior high group and C. W. Rickman, science instructor, with the senior high group.
Harrison. Mutz was president for the entire club. Wade Moore has been the leader of the senior group. Leaders for the junior organization were: Jack Roelofson. Richard McDougal, Jack Worley, and Junior Staley.
Other members of the club not shown in the accompanying picture are: Bud Basford and Leon Canon, M. W. Clardy, Ralph Cushman, Marshall Hatfield, John Iardisty, Bud Jones, Kenneth King, Wade Moore, Harrison Mutz, Bill Rubalt, Bob Seckington, Edward Short, Alan Strader, Junior Thompcon, Lynn Wray, Gene Polk, Jack Roelfson, Donald Cleveland, Davis Harrison, Harold Job, Junior Staley, Jack Worley and Bill Welby.
Below is 1941 photo of the Club from the 1941 Maryvillian. It had no caption.
- They called it the Maryville Aviation Club—because “taking the bus” sounded too final for a maiden voyage.
- First meeting agenda: build a balsa-wing model, learn aerodynamics, and decide who gets to pretend they’re Charles Lindbergh.
- Their slogan: “If it crashes, it’s research.” The physics teacher called it experiential learning; the janitor called it a new kind of ceiling décor.
- Coach suggested using the football playbook for formation flying. Turns out the playbook doesn’t account for wind or rooftops.
- They practiced takeoffs in the schoolyard until the principal banned “unauthorized airshows” and installed stricter kite regulations.
- Their first test flight lasted 12 glorious seconds and two panicked chickens—both considered historic milestones.
- The math club joined to help with the trajectories. Now, half the models have better GPA’s than their pilots.
- Maryville’s postmaster complained of a sudden increase in “aerial” mail. Turns out most of it was just model planes carrying homework excuses.
- They tried to name their flagship plane “The Maryville Meteor.” The science teacher insisted on “The Maryville We-Thought-So.”
- When news spread, the town offered sponsorship: one farmer donated twine, the bakery donated glue (and doughnuts), and the barber offered free wind-tunnel haircuts.
- Their slogan changed after winter: “If it won’t fly, at least it keeps the snow off our heads.”
- By December 1941, they’d mastered takeoffs, landings, and the unofficial skill every pilot needs—apologizing to the neighbor for hitting their laundry line.