Scope and Content Note
The papers of Harry W. Frantz (1891-1982) span the years 1893-1968, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1929-1964. Much of the collection is focused on aviation, a field Frantz covered as a correspondent for United Press International (UPI), and documents pioneering long-distance and endurance flights and the early history of the Pan American Airways Corporation and other commercial passenger and freight air carriers. The 2023 Addition focuses on topics related to Antarctica, another field covered by Frantz as a UPI correspondent. These topics include exploration, natural resources, international policy, and scientific discovery.
The papers comprise four series, Scrapbooks , Printed Matter , 2023 Addition, and Oversize . The Scrapbooks are organized in a numerical system of Frantz's devising. Loose-leaf scrapbooks have been dismantled and the contents foldered in the original page order. Hardbound scrapbooks are in Oversize . The monographs, pamphlets, reports, serials, publicity material, and other print and near-print material that comprise the Printed Matter are arranged chronologically under United States, other countries, and Pan American Airways Corporation headings. Volumes 19-21 of the Scrapbooks consist of Pan American Airways publicity director William Van Dusen's "Dear Señor" letters, an informal newsletter (1937-1940) disseminating inside information on such topics as routes, personnel, technological progress, and the latest developments in the Clipper and Stratoliner programs. Other correspondents include Arthur E. Curtis, Roy Wilson Howard, Manuel de Jesus Manduley, and B.V. McCandlish.
The 2023 Addition comprises material generated and collected during the years Frantz reported on Antarctica, primarily from the late 1950s to the mid-1960s, and does not relate to topics covered in the rest of the collection. The material includes a chronological file of articles, press kits on the various Deep Freeze operations to Antarctica, and other printed matter; a file on the organization of and scientific advancements achieved during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) from July 1957 to December 1958; and a reference file on related topics including continental shelves, fisheries, oceans, petroleum, and outer space. Other topics in the addition include politics, legislation, and international relations, most notably in Frantz’s reporting on the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Lastly, the addition contains background information and articles on individuals such as George J. Dufek, commander of Task Force 43, James R. Reedy, commander of United States Naval Support Force, Antarctica, and explorers Finn Ronne, Roald Amundsen, and Laurence McKinley Gould.