Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], G. Grahame Duce Papers, 1920-1947, Ms1987-005, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The G. Grahame Duce Papers were purchased by Special Collections in 1987.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement and description of the G. Grahame Duce Papers began in October 2005 and was completed in October 2005.

Additional description of the G. Grahame Duce Papers was completed in 2024 as part of the project, "Piercing the Veil: Creating Access to the Archives of American Aerospace Exploration at Virginia Tech," funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) .

Biographical Note

Born in 1916 in Baltimore, Maryland, Gordon Grahame Duce worked as an insurance broker for multiple companies over the years in North Carolina and Maryland. Duce married Helen Rowe Gaddy in 1941. The couple had three children before Gordon's death in 1952 at the age of 36.

Duce was passionate about aeronautics throughout his life, a member of the Aero Club at Baltimore City College High School and continuing to conduct his own research well after graduation. Duce used this research to write manuscript articles on aeronautics as the president of Duce Aeronautical Research, located in Baltimore, Maryland.

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers of G. Grahame Duce, aeronautical enthusiast and president of Duce Aeronautical Research in Baltimore, Maryland. The collection includes various airplane notes and characteristics from 1920 to 1939, an approved aircraft index from 1947, and manuscript drafts of articles discussing subjects such as new paratroop devices, the fastest long-ranger, the Martin XB-48, the building of XB-48, airlines in the red, pilot judgment, air races, the Boeing XB-47, the jet pilot, and the future of jet planes.

Arrangement

The papers are divided into folders by topic and are arranged in chronological order.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Archives of American Aerospace Exploration (AAAE)
• Businesspeople
• Science and Technology

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the G. Grahame Duce Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).