Charlie Taylor - Howard DuFour Collection

The Howard DuFour Collection is divided into five major series. Series I documents the research and development of the Howard DuFour and Peter Unitt book on Charlie Taylor. Series II documents the Charlie Taylor oral history project carried out by Rubin Battino. Series III documents the building and hanging of the Wright 1903 Flyer replica hanging in the Atrium of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library at Wright State University. Finally, Series IV documents the construction of the Wright 1902 Glider that hands in the Wright State University Student Union. Series V contains the personal papers of Howard DuFour.

Series I, Development of Charlie Taylor: The Wright Brothers Mechanician is divided into five subseries. Subseries IA, Research, represents the strength of the collection. This subseries contains a wealth of newspaper clippings and primary documents relating to the life and achievements of Charlie Taylor. Also, of interest to researchers, is a segment of newspaper articles, possibly collected by Charlie Taylor, concerning the 1953 Dayton Air Show. This event was especially important as it marked the fiftieth anniversary of powered flight. Except for some pictures and some correspondence, very little of the material actually belonged to Taylor. Subseries IB, Drafts of Book, relates to Howard DuFour and Peter Unitt's writing of Charlie Taylor: The Wright Brothers Mechanician. This series gives an interesting insight into the process involved in writing the Taylor book. Subseries IC, Correspondence, contains Mr. Dufour's correspondence with Charlie Taylor descendents, people who knew Charlie Taylor, and other individuals who provided background information on the life and work of Charlie Taylor. Subseries ID, General Information, contains reviews of the book on Charlie Taylor and book orders, along with special events regarding Charlie Taylor, and other miscellaneous information. The final subseries, Subseries IE, Photographs, contains photographs used in the book, along with other photographs documenting the life of Charlie Taylor and his family. Of particular interest in this series are two three-ring binders containing photographs of Howard DuFour building a replica of the 1903 Engine used on the Wright 1903 Flyer. Users should be aware that the copyright for many of the images in this collection may not be claimed by Wright State University. It is up to any users of the collection to seek out and obtain correct copyright permissions for any use of the images beyond fair use for limited educational purposes.

Series II, Oral History Project, contains a Charlie Taylor oral history project carried out by Rubin Battino. This series contains transcripts, audiocassette tapes, and video cassette tapes of oral history interviews. The majority of the interviews, conducted by Rubin Battino, are with Howard DuFour concerning his many years of research on the life of Charlie Taylor and the building of a replica of the Wright 1903 Engine.

Series III, The Wright 1903 Flyer Project, contains information on the building, hanging, and dedication of the Wright 1903 Flyer replica now hanging in the Atrium of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Library at Wright State University. The series contains a record of the time to build the replica, a register of visitors to the construction site, and a list of volunteers who worked on the project. In addition, the series contains a copy of the draft and final copy of the booklet, A Dream Fulfilled, The Replica of the 1903 Flyer at Wright State University. Finally, the bulk of the series is photographs documenting the building, hanging, and dedication of the Wright 1903 Flyer. The photographs, primarily located in three three-ring binders, are divided according to major areas, including: Setting Up, Construction, Propellers, Visitors, Moving and Putting Together Flyer at Wright State University, Dedication Day, Miscellaneous and Groups, and Negatives. Also included in this area are two boxes of slide photographs taken by Dan Patterson, a well-known aviation photographer. The slides document the assembly of the Flyer at Wright State University from August 7 to August 29, 2001.

Series IV, The Wright 1902 Glider Project, is a July 2004 addition to the collection. The series consists of photographs and a Volunteer Hours Record Book documenting the construction of the Wright 1902 Glider that now hangs in the atrium of the Wright State University Student Union.

Series V, Howard DuFour, contains the personal papers of Howard DuFour. Included in this series is personal information such as Security Clearance paperwork, correspondence from 1986 to 2003, his pilot license and flight log from 1944, presentations given on Charlie Taylor, Wright Brothers articles, and a number of certificates and letters of appreciation. It also includes a series of oral history tapes and DVDs where Mr. DuFour talks about his life and various projects.