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William P. and Moya Olsen Lear Papers
The William P. and Moya Olsen Lear Papers documents the extensive and varied career of inventor and businessman William P. Lear, with a smaller focus on the philanthropic and business activities of Moya Olsen Lear. The collection, which dates from 1838 through 2001 (bulk dates 1939-1978), consists of administrative records, correspondence, financial reports, research files, legal records and patent applications, technical reports and drawings, photographs, negatives, scrapbooks, and ephemera illustrating William P. Lear’s interests and inventions, particularly in the realms of navigation and aircraft design, that often were perceived as ground-breaking, innovative, and ahead of their time. The collection is arranged into sixteen series, beginning with one of Lear’s earliest companies and continuing chronologically through his career and past his death as Moya Lear worked to drive his legacy.
Date1838-2001 (inclusive)1939-1986CreatorLear, William P. (William Powell), 1902-1978Lear, Moya Olsen, 1915-2001Resource RecordGuide to the Lear (William P. and Moya Olsen) PapersLanguageEnglishRights HolderThe Museum of Flight ArchivesRightsPermission to publish material from the William P. and Moya Olsen Lear Papers must be obtained from The Museum of Flight Archives.Bibliographic CitationThe William P. and Moya Olsen Lear Papers/The Museum of FlightAccess StatusA selection of photographic, textual, and audiovisual material has been digitized from the major series in this collection.