1950 Engineering Organization Chart

by Fred Stoliker (Org' Chart Scanned by Johnny Armstrong)

  1. The organization chart [below] dates from early 1950.  It was supplied by Richard A. “Dick” Schmidt when Bob Hoey, Johnny Armstrong and I were gathering stories and information for “Flight Testing at Edwards, Flight Test Engineers Stories”.  This is the organization at Wright Field when I reported in May 1950.

  2. The Performance Test Branch was headed by Dick Schmidt and conducted Phase II and Phase IV Performance and Stability and Control Tests.  Dick was appointed Chief of the Branch in early 1950.

  3. The Accelerated Service Branch performed Phase VI  (Systems) Test.

  4. Dick Schmidt moved to Edwards to set up and head the Performance Engineering Branch in the fall of 1950.  (He reported to Lt. Col. Jackie Ridley, Chief, Flight Test Engineering Division.  Paul Bikle became Jackie’s deputy when he (Paul) transferred to Edwards in 1951.) Dick transferred to the Rocket Branch in May 1951 and was replaced by Major Russ Herrington. John Cole was Herrington’s Assistant.

  5. The following people transferred to Edwards from Wright Field during 1950 and 1951:

    1. Paul F. Bikle
    2. Richard A. Schmidt
    3. Charlie Oliver
    4. John Cole
    5. Ev Dunlap
    6. Bill Redd (Shown on the chart as J.W. Reed.)
    7. Marion Yancey
    8. Bill Magruder
    9. Billy Qwens
    10. Bob Jackson
    11. Goneril Adams
    12. Jack Wesesky (not pictured)
    13. Fred Stoliker (not pictured)

Following comments by Evertt Dunlap ("E.W. DUNLAP" in the chart below):

I signed on at Wright Field in 1948, and for the next three years was assigned to B-36 projects, spending time in Fort Worth and in Dayton, assisting Charlie Oliver. 

Then in 1951 the Flight Test Division was moved to Muroc Air Force Base in California.  There was a tiny town of Muroc, and the base was named after a family of early settlers named Corum.  Which is Muroc spelled backward.  Several years later the name Muroc was changed to Edwards in honor of the capt who was killed in a crash of a flying wing aircraft, a forerunner of the B-2 Stealth Bomber.