Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Receives Grant from Ameren Illinois for Installation of New Archive System

By Carmelo Turdo

Ameren Illinois presented the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum, located at historic Curtiss-Wright Hangar 2 at St. Louis Downtown Airport, with a $15,000 check to fund the installation of a new archive computer system.  Richard Mark, President and CEO of Ameren Illinois, visited the museum today to deliver the award to museum representatives at a ceremony held in the flight simulator bay of the nationally-registered historic hangar.  Following the grant presentation, Mr. Mark was given a ride in the McDonnell Aircraft factory cart once used by company founder James S. McDonnell to drive President John F. Kennedy on his factory tour in 1962.

 

“The database will be a cataloging of the museum’s entire collection and library,” said Mark Badasch, the museum’s Director.  ”This will lead to better preservation of artifacts, greater availability to the public as well as, eventually, online browsing of the collection.”  The management of the records associated with thousands of artifacts and many more historic documents and media items is a daunting task.  “Having the information on each item at your fingertips is essential for managing the collection and fulfilling our public education mission,” added Carmelo Turdo, museum 2nd Vice President.  “Implementing this system will be challenging,” Turdo continued, “but I am looking forward to learning a lot more about the collection as we proceed through the installation process.”

 

The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum wishes to thank Ameren Illinois for providing the grant needed for this important project.  Members of the community are invited to visit and lend their talents to continuing the mission of the museum:

 

Serve the public through - preservation and display of historic air and space artifacts and by providing educational programs to foster the spirit of flight in today’s youth and in future generations.

 



Check Presentation (L-R): Museum Board Member Tom Ahillen, 2nd VP Carmelo Turdo, Director Mark Badasch, Ameren IL President and CEO Richard Mark, Museum President Mark Nankivil, 1st VP Rick Rehg 

Ameren IL President and CEO Richard Mark with photo of James S. McDonnell with President John F. Kennedy in the cart    

 

 Ameren IL President and CEO Richard Mark rides past the museum’s sign in the McDonnell Aircraft factory cart