Manuscripts Collection
Northwest Airlines was incorporated in 1926 as Northwest Airways. The company began service on October 1, 1926, as an airmail carrier between the Twin Cities and Chicago. Passenger service was inaugurated in July 1927. Northwest expanded its service through the Dakotas and Montana to Spokane and Seattle, Washington, in 1928-1933. The company was reincorporated as Northwest Airlines, Inc. in 1934.
During World War II the company set up and operated a military cargo route to Canada, Alaska, and the Aleutian Islands.
In 1946 Northwest Airlines was awarded a route to Alaska, and the "Great Circle" route to the Far East. Scheduled service to the Far East began July 15, 1947, with stops in Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai, and Manila. The company reached the East Coast in the late 1940s, and began the first transcontinental air coach service in 1949.
Northwest participated in the Korean Airlift from 1950 to 1953 during the Korean War.
In 1979 transatlantic service to Europe was begun. A holding company, NWA Inc., was created in 1984, with Northwest Airlines as its principal operating subsidiary. That same year Northwest entered into a marketing agreement with Mesaba Aviation Inc., a Minnesota-based regional carrier, under which Mesaba operated as Northwest Orient Airlink. NWA Inc. was taken private in 1989 after a leveraged buyout by Alfred A. Checchi, Gary Wilson, and other investors.
For many years the company used the name Northwest Orient Airlines for advertising and marketing purposes.
In October 2008 Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines acquired Northwest Airlines, making it the single largest airline at that time. The merger also ended Northwest's Minnesota-based commercial operations after more than eighty years.
Financial records, photographs, subject files, accounting statements and reports, operating statistics, aircraft purchase agreements, slides, advertising materials, video and audio recordings, clippings, manuals, study reports, historical and background information, records of the company's Meteorology and Flight Operations departments, some timetables, and correspondence and memoranda.
There is information about routes and service inaugurations, aircraft purchases, air mail service, pilots, aircraft accidents, strikes, and hijackings. There are newspaper accounts of the 1989 takeover of NWA Inc., and of the company's brush with bankruptcy in the 1990s. There is information about bomber modification plants operated by Northwest during World War II in both Minnesota and Ohio, and there are some records of several other airlines and their predecessors that merged with Northwest. Correspondents include Northwest executives and meteorologists; officials of the Boeing Company and other aircraft manufacturers; aviator Amelia Earhart; and others.
These records are divided into the following sections:
Records of Republic Airlines, which merged into Northwest Airlines, are also in the Minnesota Historical Society manuscript collections.
Access to records less than 25 years old requires written permission.
Access to and use of reserve material requires the curator's permission.
[Indicate the cited item and/or series here.] Northwest Airlines, Inc. Corporate Records. Minnesota Historical Society.
Accession numbers: 7,932; 12,974; 13,484; 13,695; 13,969; 14,231; 14,324; 14,611; 14,790; 15,277; 15,529; 15,679; 16,027
Digital masters of film and video cassettes are maintained on the Society's secure digital collections storage servers and are managed and preserved in accordance with archival best practices.
Processed by: David B. Peterson, October 1993, April 1998, January 2000; Christopher G. Welter, November 2009; photographs reprocessed by Lynn Leitte, June 1998.
Digital video transferred from master film by the Minnesota Historical Society for preservation purposes, July 2019. Digital video transferred from master video cassettes by the Minnesota Historical Society for preservation purposes, April 2018.
Catalog ID number: 990017295060104294
Includes correspondence and memoranda, newspaper clippings, television and radio news report transcripts, news releases, and legal briefs.
Mounted 8 x 10 color photograph with 2 x 5 metal plate with the inscription "August 16, 1987, NORTHWEST FLIGHT 255, from All of Us to All of You."
Runway collision of Northwest flights 1482 (DC-9) and 299 (727) at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
Crash of Flight 705 (N724US) 13 minutes after departure from Miami International Airport.
All unidentified.
Two 5-inch metal spools. One says "Last Flt. 700 1-3-63, 724" and the other says "Tape from Ship 730 Flt. 704 April 30, 1963, `Kirkpatrick Incident.'"
Includes brush material, duct matter, and plastic subjected to flame for testing purposes in connection with the investigation of the accident.
Produced by and/or related to Northwest, Republic, and North Central Airlines, Hughes Airwest, and Southern Airways. Most of the material consists of television and radio commercials. There are also employee training presentations, interviews with and speeches by company executives, television news clips, company history presentations, and a political action committee presentation. There are also some slide carousels in the Flight Operations Department Records.
Materials are organized by format (video, motion pictures, audiocassettes, and slide carousels). Videocassettes are organized by carrier (Northwest, Republic, Hughes Airwest, North Central, and Southern), and thereunder are grouped by format (U-matic, Betacam, VHS).
Grey Advertising.
For NWA employees; executives talking about NWA/Republic Airlines merger.
Grey Advertising.
Grey Advertising.
VPR Creative Group. See also Public Relations Department Records, Box 20.
"Mini NF to More," Look/Mini NF to More," "Bloomingdales," "Restrictions," "Shades," "Phone Bill," "How Far," "Hong Kong," "Rickshaw," and "Can Do."
Manhattan Transfer/Edit.
Manhattan Transfer/Edit.
Manhattan Transfer/Edit. No sound.
mgs agency. Poor sound quality.
Campbell-Mithun.
Executives/employees meeting in Washington, D.C.
VPR Creative Group.
TeleEdit.
Laurie Kumerow.
Includes Herb Ihle, John Wilson, Steve Phillis, Dan Handlin.
TFI.
CH1: English; CH2: Japanese.
Includes Austin, San Antonio, Tulsa, Birmingham, and Oklahoma City.
Crash & Sue's Film & Video Post.
Commercial using historical footage.
WCCO-TV news
Juntunen Video, Inc.
WDIV Ch. 4, Detroit.
Twin Cities (Minn.) television stations.
Includes "Anthem Spud," "Anthem Ballerinas," and "Anthem."
Djm Films, Inc.
Puckett was a player for the Minnesota Twins baseball club.
Apparently news clips from Twin Cities (Minn.) television stations.
The EM COM Group, Inc.
Filmed in Vancouver, B.C.
Landor Associates/VCA Teletronics Inc.
Box says "March 1989."
Box says "April 1989."
Special report apparently having to do with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
April Show - 4B; April Show - C; December - 12A; December - 12B.
Compilation of S & S commercials for Northwest Airlines.
Poor quality.
Dave Coleman.
Filmed in Minneapolis and Memphis; includes interview with Bernard Sweet, president of Republic.
U-Matic master broadcast format.
U-Matic master broadcast format.
U-Matic master broadcast format.
U-Matic format.
U-Matic master broadcast format. Unable to digitize due to deterioration.
U-matic master broadcast format.
"Northwest to Alaska"
Half the World; Globe; Florida Nightcoach; Florida Dollars; No. 1 to Miami; Hawaii Booklet; Hawaii Dollars; HNL "Big Mamma"; Hong Kong; Orient/Quick Cut; Orient/Wedding; Hong Kong Tram. Campbell-Mithun, Inc., advertising agency.
Digital version
NWA Cargo Sales Division.
Republic Airlines
Copy of KSTP newsreel.
Digital version
"Kids: 1. Free is Good; 2. Day One Kids."
Includes script.
Includes audiocassette.
Includes audiocassette.
Includes audiocassette.
Manuals and audiocassettes are located in Subject Files under "Republic Airlines."
Includes audiocassette.
North Central Airlines. Includes audiocassette.
See Flight Operations Department Records, Boxes 25-28.
Includes script.
Includes audiocassette.
Includes audiocassette.
Includes script.
Miscellaneous financial and accounting records retained by the public relations/corporate communications department.
Missing 1929, 1930, 1932-1935, 1937.
Employee and equipment performance statistics, with list of staff and assignments, 1932-1933.
"Grey Book." Called "Financial and Statistical Report" beginning March 1988.
Include several boxes of training material (including slide presentations) and manuals used in the training of flight crews. There are ten slide carousels with accompanying audiocassettes, for training on everything from cold weather operations to crew communications to wind shear; pilot handbooks for some of the most common jet and turbo-prop aircraft; and initial hire pilot instructional manuals. There are also domestic menu manuals, a sales department manual, and three employee manuals for Mesaba Aviation Inc. There are pilot handbooks and aircraft operating manuals that were selected from dozens of such items to reflect major aircraft types, and to focus on manuals developed largely by Northwest itself, rather than borrowed from the FAA or from aircraft manufacturers.
Includes script.
Includes script.
Frederick E. Brennan.
"727 Ship Manual."
Saul Singer.
F.A.A.
F.A.A.
Primarily 8 x 10 black-and-white prints documenting the history of Northwest Airlines and commercial aviation in general. Includes photos of various aircraft used by Northwest. There are images depicting airmail and express mail service; maintenance and construction of aircraft; modification of planes into WWII bombers; airports around the United States; christenings of planes and inaugural flights for service routes; company executives; employees; uniforms; cargo and passenger spaces in planes; live cargo; and cargo loading equipment.
Additional information about the crash of Flight 255 is found in Accident Files, Box 30.
12 x 16 color photographs of Northwest Airlines airplanes in the air over Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City, Minneapolis, and what appears to be the Grand Canyon, and at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Includes some loose photos. Davis, Gibson Advertising Ltd., London, England.
8 x 10 color aerial views of Minneapolis and St. Paul, photographs of maintenance and other personnel at work, and photos of Northwest airplanes landing, taking off, and on the ground at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Includes 747s and DC-10s. Davis, Gibson Advertising.
"Photo reference prints" and "757." 5 x 5 color photographs of Northwest Airlines airplanes in the air, probably over the western United States. Also interior shots. Davis, Gibson Advertising.
Color photographs of Northwest Airlines airplanes in the air. Image in Industry Ltd., London, England.
Primarily 8 x 10 color photos of Northwest Airlines airplanes over major American cities. Image in Industry Ltd. Includes several additional loose photographs.
Includes identified and unidentified airports.
Images of buildings, runways, waiting areas, ticket counters, and travel agent offices.
Anchorage and Fairbanks.
Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester.
Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell.
Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown.
Seattle, Spokane, Yakima.
Madison, Milwaukee.
Includes narrative.
Includes perishables, pets, domestic animals, and exotic animals and birds.
Cargo that generated an announcement or press release or was otherwise considered unusual. Original file title was "Cargo: Misc."
Computerization of ticket, reservation, and customer service activities, etc.
See also Stewardesses, below.
Interview with [China's] Chiang Kai Shek in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Includes planes built by Stinson, Lockheed, Waco, Boeing, Douglas, Ford, and Curtis.
Aberdeen, South Dakota; Anchorage, Alaska; Braniff, New York; Duluth, Minnesota; Kalispell, Montana; Newark, New Jersey; Rochester, Minnesota; and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Service to Manila, Philippines.
Service to Okinawa, Japan.
Alaska; Atlanta; Chicago/Cleveland; Cleveland/Philadelphia; Chicago/[Miami]; Detroit-Wayne County/Philadelphia; Honolulu; Milwaukee/[Miami]; Milwaukee/Philadelphia; New York/Chicago; Portland; [Seattle]; Tampa.
Includes stratocruiser christenings and a number of unidentified personal and family photographs that may be related to Charles "Speed" Holman.
See also Flight Attendants, above.
At Holman Field, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Hijacker Cooper parachuted out of the airplane near Ariel, Wash.
Earhart worked on behalf of NWA on a Lockheed aircraft deal and during the Billings-Seattle route controversy.
Award for developing U.S. export markets.
Includes many photographs.
Includes audio cassette of special presentation at that event.
Airline careers pamphlet.
Aviation consultants.
Probably produced in 1991 when the company was seeking public loans from the state of Minnesota. See also Audio and Video Recordings, Box 35.
C.A.B. Docket 16242.
Includes timetables, fare summaries, and other customer literature.
Illustrated promotional book.
Include print ads and promotional literature.
A system providing LCD color television for each passenger via a small screen installed on the backs of airliner seats. Airvision was a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Philips of The Netherlands.
Includes Charles W. Holman, Chadwick B. Smith, Walter R. Bullock, Fred W. Whittemore, Homer F. Cole, John F. Malone, Leon S. DeLong, Mal B. Freeburg, Lee Smith, and J. E. Ohrbeck.
"Northwest Orient Airlines new Systemwide General Office and Overhaul Base, Twin Cities International Airport, Wold Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota."
Includes print photos and color slides.
Certificates authorizing Northwest to operate between Chicago and Winnipeg via the Twin Cities (Minn.) and Fargo and Grand Forks, N. D.) (Certificate No. 4) and between Fargo and Seattle via Bismarck-Mandan (N. D.) and Billings (Mont.) (Certificate No. 5).
Includes stories about airplane crashes, the war effort (World War II), and the Northwest-Vandalia Modification Center, Vandalia, Ohio. Stories clipped from Minnesota (especially Twin Cities) and Ohio newspapers.
Includes stories about airplane crashes and fatalities, tornadoes and snowstorms, airplane test flights, the war effort (World War II), the inauguration of new routes, and a mechanics strike (1946). Stories clipped mainly from Twin Cites newspapers.
Includes Northwest Airlines newspaper advertisements, and stories
about airplane crashes, service reductions (1942), schedule changes
and the addition of flights, railroad passenger service to
Rochester, Minn., Northwest Airlines staff changes, airplane
purchases, human interest stories (including stories about people
flying into Rochester for treatment at the Mayo Clinic), and stories
about Zawasky. There are also various programs, certificates,
letters, and other items pasted into the scrapbook. Zawasky was
Northwest's district traffic manager at Rochester, Minn. Most of the
stories are taken from the
Includes September 1942 issue of
Newsletter for employees of the Northwest Airlines St. Paul modification center.
"History, Northwest Airways, Inc."
Includes letters to shareholders, notices of meetings, and related papers.
Dave Durenberger and Rudy Boschwitz were Republican U.S. senators from Minnesota.
Files of William C. Wren, Vice President - Public Relations.
Northwest Airlines Vice President - Finance.
Reverse side features time comparisons with railroad travel.
Packet of informational materials and stationery distributed to passengers.
President and general manager of Northwest Airlines.
Published by Northwest Orient Public Relations Department to keep Northwest and Republic Airlines employees informed about the progress of the Northwest-Republic merger.
Files of William C. Wren, Northwest Airlines Vice President - Public Relations.
These books were the property of Ann King, wife of Don King, who was the chief pilot in Northwest Airlines' negotiations with the Japanese Government for landing rights in the 1940s. The books give a vivid insight into American-Japanese relations in the 1930s and 1940s, and of the ways in which the Japanese sought to present themselves and their culture to the world at that time. Each volume is inscribed "Ann King, Tokyo - 1947."
Awards given to Northwest for operating without passenger or crew fatalities.
Includes West Coast Airlines and North Central Airlines timetables
(1956 and 1962), a souvenir map,
Northwest Airlines president, chairman, and CEO.
Lists of NWA flights.
Permission to do business in the Philippines; amendments to articles of incorporation.
A company-sponsored training program for reservations agents.
Files of William C. Wren, Northwest Airlines Vice President - Public Relations. Rothmeier was Chairman and CEO of Northwest Airlines.
Additional service inauguration files are found in Public Relations Department Records.
File of William C. Wren, Northwest Airlines Vice President - Public Relations.
Photocopies of these three letters are also filed with Public Relations Department Records: Historical Files: Amelia Earhart and related correspondence.
Digital version