Fairchild Memorial Hall
Encyclopedia
Fairchild Memorial Hall houses the Air University (AU) library
at Maxwell Air Force Base
, Alabama
.
The premier library in the United States Department of Defense
, the AU Library holds especially strong collections in the fields of warfare
, aeronautics
, United States Air Force
and DOD operations
, military science
s, international relations
, military education, leadership
and management
.
Named for General
Muir S. Fairchild
, the founder
and first commander of Air University, the library serves as the focal point
of faculty
and student
research
, holding more than 2.9 million items.
The AUL was organizationally structured as its predecessor, the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
Library, at Orlando, Florida
. The organizational structure
consisted of five divisions and six branches located at Maxwell and the now-defunct Craig Air Force Base
, in Alabama, and at the School of Aviation Medicine
at Randolph Field in Texas
. By 1951 the AUL had expanded to six divisions in order to accommodate and service its branches.
In August 1949, Headquarters United States Air Force changed the designation of the AUL to the “Department of the Air Force Library.” The following month, the Air Historical Group (later to become the Air Force Historical Research Agency
moved from Washington, D.C.
to Maxwell Air Force Base. After several administrative
changes had occurred due to the merger the Library once again became the “Air University Library” in March 1950.
On January 17, 1951, Building 37 was designated “Fairchild Memorial Hall” and a commemorative plaque
was installed to honor Fairchild, Air University’s first commander, who had since been promoted to the rank of General
and was at the time of his death (March 17, 1950) the vice-Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
.
By the end of the 1940s the problems of scattered and decentralized collections were becoming apparent. A request for a newer building was submitted in 1950 and summarily disapproved. Later the Air University Board of Visitors http://www.au.af.mil/au/au_catalog/BOV.pdf championed the cause of a newer and centralized facility, and on April 28, 1955 a formal groundbreaking
ceremony was held in what was to become the center of the Air University Academic Circle (Chennault
Circle) http://www.au.af.mil/42abw/42abw_history_academic_circle.asp. The new Fairchild Memorial Hall (Building 1405) was formally dedicated on October 18, 1956.
The credo of the Air Corps Tactical School
is expressed in its motto
Proficimus More Irretenti - 'We Make Progress Unhindered by Custom
' http://www.afa.org/magazine/sept2003/0903school.asp.
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
at Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base
Maxwell Air Force Base , officially known as Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, is a United States Air Force installation under the Air Education and Training Command . The installation is located in Montgomery, Alabama, US. It was named in honor of Second Lieutenant William C...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
.
The premier library in the United States Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
, the AU Library holds especially strong collections in the fields of warfare
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
, aeronautics
Aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of airflight-capable machines, or the techniques of operating aircraft and rocketry within the atmosphere...
, United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and DOD operations
Military operation
Military operation is the coordinated military actions of a state in response to a developing situation. These actions are designed as a military plan to resolve the situation in the state's favor. Operations may be of combat or non-combat types, and are referred to by a code name for the purpose...
, military science
Military science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
s, international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, military education, leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
and management
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
.
Named for General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Muir S. Fairchild
Muir S. Fairchild
General Muir Stephen Fairchild was former vice chief of staff of the United States Air Force. He was born September 2, 1894 at Bellingham, Washington, and died March 17, 1950 at Fort Myer, Virginia.-Early service:Muir S...
, the founder
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and first commander of Air University, the library serves as the focal point
Attention
Attention is the cognitive process of paying attention to one aspect of the environment while ignoring others. Attention is one of the most intensely studied topics within psychology and cognitive neuroscience....
of faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
and student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
, holding more than 2.9 million items.
History
In April 1946 the newly formed Air University Library (AUL) was located at building 37, preparing for the AU's opening in September, as part of what was expected to be “the most progressive and forward looking system of military education in the entire world.”The AUL was organizationally structured as its predecessor, the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics
The Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics was a military training organization of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II...
Library, at Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The organizational structure
Organizational structure
An organizational structure consists of activities such as task allocation, coordination and supervision, which are directed towards the achievement of organizational aims. It can also be considered as the viewing glass or perspective through which individuals see their organization and its...
consisted of five divisions and six branches located at Maxwell and the now-defunct Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base
Craig Air Force Base near Selma, Alabama, was a U.S. Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training base that closed in 1977. As an active air force base, Craig had two parallel runways, a large aircraft parking ramp and several large maintenance hangars....
, in Alabama, and at the School of Aviation Medicine
Aviation medicine
Aviation medicine, also called flight medicine or aerospace medicine, is a preventive or occupational medicine in which the patients/subjects are pilots, aircrews, or persons involved in spaceflight...
at Randolph Field in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. By 1951 the AUL had expanded to six divisions in order to accommodate and service its branches.
In August 1949, Headquarters United States Air Force changed the designation of the AUL to the “Department of the Air Force Library.” The following month, the Air Historical Group (later to become the Air Force Historical Research Agency
Air Force Historical Research Agency
The Air Force Historical Research Agency is the repository for United States Air Force historical documents.The Agency's collection, begun during World War II in Washington, D.C., moved in 1949 to Maxwell Air Force Base, the site of Air University, to provide research facilities for professional...
moved from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to Maxwell Air Force Base. After several administrative
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...
changes had occurred due to the merger the Library once again became the “Air University Library” in March 1950.
On January 17, 1951, Building 37 was designated “Fairchild Memorial Hall” and a commemorative plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
was installed to honor Fairchild, Air University’s first commander, who had since been promoted to the rank of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and was at the time of his death (March 17, 1950) the vice-Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a statutory office held by a four-star general in the United States Air Force, and is the most senior uniformed officer assigned to serve in the Department of the Air Force, and as such is the principal military advisor and a deputy to the Secretary of the...
.
By the end of the 1940s the problems of scattered and decentralized collections were becoming apparent. A request for a newer building was submitted in 1950 and summarily disapproved. Later the Air University Board of Visitors http://www.au.af.mil/au/au_catalog/BOV.pdf championed the cause of a newer and centralized facility, and on April 28, 1955 a formal groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
ceremony was held in what was to become the center of the Air University Academic Circle (Chennault
Claire Lee Chennault
Lieutenant General Claire Lee Chennault , was an American military aviator. A contentious officer, he was a fierce advocate of "pursuit" or fight-interceptor aircraft during the 1930s when the U.S. Army Air Corps was focused primarily on high-altitude bombardment...
Circle) http://www.au.af.mil/42abw/42abw_history_academic_circle.asp. The new Fairchild Memorial Hall (Building 1405) was formally dedicated on October 18, 1956.
The credo of the Air Corps Tactical School
Air Corps Tactical School
The Air Corps Tactical School, also known as ACTS and "the Tactical School", was a military professional development school for officers of the United States Army Air Service and United States Army Air Corps, the first such school in the world. Created in 1920 at Langley Field, Virginia, it...
is expressed in its motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
Proficimus More Irretenti - 'We Make Progress Unhindered by Custom
Convention (norm)
A convention is a set of agreed, stipulated or generally accepted standards, norms, social norms or criteria, often taking the form of a custom....
' http://www.afa.org/magazine/sept2003/0903school.asp.