Cleared to Land: Celebrating a Milestone for the Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records
January 29, 2015 - Robert and Judi Prokop Newman Alumni Center at the University of Miami
As home to Pan American World Airways, Inc. Records, University of Miami Libraries Special Collections preserves and provides access to a vast archive of materials documenting the rich history and worldwide impact of Pan Am (1927-1991). Researchers from all over the world visit the Pan Am archive to explore and draw from the 1,500 boxes of administrative, legal, financial, technical, and promotional materials as well as internal publications, photographs, audiovisual, and graphic materials preserved from the company’s 64-year history. In 2012, the National Historical Publications & Records Commission awarded Special Collections a grant to reorganize and improve access to this significant historical resource. The grant enabled the hiring of a full-time project archivist who in two years, with the help of 15 students, volunteers, staff members, and librarians, transformed the historically and culturally rich repository into an organized, searchable resource that is significantly easier to navigate and research. It also helped produce a mini-website, Cleared to Land, that provides an engaging overview of the collection's many treasures. Hundreds of Pan Am enthusiasts, from historians and researchers to former Pan Am pilots, flight attendants, and administrators, joined in the January 29, 2015 celebration of this important milestone, reflecting the company's continued significance decades after its closing. With the support of many in preserving the history of Pan Am, the collection continues its legacy as a window to a wide range of historical topics that will support students, scholars, and enthusiasts for many generations to come. To learn more about the collection, as well as other resources of UM Libraries, please visit
library.miami.edu.