Still Soaring

“Our Mission at the Pan Am Museum Foundation is for us to educate, celebrate, and inspire present and future generations by preserving historical and diverse personal stories of Pan American World Airways.”
To employees, Pan Am meant more than a paycheck. It was a home. And co-workers were family. Because of those relationships, many former employees recall their Pan Am years as the best of their lives.
After the last Pan Am planes landed on December 4, 1991, the employee community never lost their love for the venerable institution that was Pan American World Airways.
In 1992, a group of volunteers led by Ed Trippe, son of Pan Am’s President and CEO Juan Trippe, founded the Pan Am Historical Foundation. They acquired the company’s remaining assets, including 64 years’ worth of documents, photographs, and audio/visual material — and archived them at the University of Miami.
That’s when Andrea Sidor, Linda Freire, Joanne Swift, Ruth Lowenstein, Julie Watson, Bruce Gately, and Phillip Keene joined forces to establish a permanent museum dedicated to Pan Am. An additional catalyst fueled their mission because many “family” members were still reeling from the 2013 demolition of Pan Am’s Worldport at JFK International Airport.
As long as that building had remained standing, former employees still felt like they had a tangible place to call home. With it gone, they craved a new place to gather and remember.
After securing a $5,000 seed loan from World Wings International and obtaining 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status, the group’s newly seated board of directors started searching for a museum location. The board settled on Long Island’s Cradle of Aviation Museum, which is located on the former Mitchel Field Air Force Base site and is known for its preservation of Long Island aviation history.
Directors

Linda (Little) Freire
Years With Pan Am: 1980 – 1991; Flight Attendant, Flight Supervisor, JFK Manager Personnel, JFK Assistant Base Manager “Pan Am Museum is the path to bring Pan American World Airways, our family, our legacy and our history to life. You call it the world, we call it a new home.”

John Luetich
Years With Pan Am: 1975-1991; Pax & Cargo Revenue, RKL; Res Agent, PAB; Programmer/Analyst, RKL “I grew up with Pan Am, as my mother was an executive secretary at Pan Am headquarters from 1943 until 1981, and as a child I went on family vacation trips all over the world, flying in many types of classic airliners, including DC-3’s, Connies, DC-6’s and DC-7’s, Viscounts, Electras, Caravelles, Comets, and Convairs, most memorably flying to Europe first class (President Special) in 1959 in a DC-7C, with a flight time of 13 hours from New York (Idlewild, now JFK) to Shannon, returning from Lisbon on a flight with an even longer duration! I worked in various positions at Pan Am from 1975 until Pan Am’s demise in 1991, and during those years I extensively used and enjoyed my Pan Am travel benefits. I also worked summer temp jobs in the Pan Am Building in 1968 and 1969 while in high school. In the 1990s, I obtained access to hundreds of vintage Pan Am photos that Pan Am founder Juan Trippe’s long-time assistant Kathleen Clair had in her possession, and I scanned and captioned them while taking deep dives into Pan Am’s history, and the collection was offered as a CD by the Pan Am Historical Foundation, of which I am also a lifetime member. In 2019 I became the Curator and Historian here at the Museum, and since then I’ve been involved in many projects, the most noteworthy being the Timeline exhibit which was unveiled in December 2021. I am honored to be a member of the Museum Board and a messenger who keeps the Pan Am legacy alive.“

Michael H. Levchuck
A University of Notre Dame Alumni, Former Adjunct Professor at NYU and Pan Am enthusiast “I am happy to be part of this incredible mission to keep and maintain a place to honor the Pan Am Legacy at Pan Am Museum.”

Phillip P. Keene
Years With Pan Am: 1988 -1991; Flight Attendant, Purser “More than just a place to work, Pan Am created a family that I am proud to still be part of.”

Captain John Marshall
Years With Pan Am: 1964 – 1991; Pilot, Manager of Flight Standards “I married a Pan Am Purser, Ms. Carla Scheidker, to this day I call her my lovely wife. I am delighted and excited to be a part of Pan Am Museum, a such a worthy endeavor.”

Diane Krumholtz Lyras
Years With Pan Am: 1977 – 1991; Labor Relations, Reservations, Account Manager, Sales Administration Manager, Special Projects and Assignments “I am passionate about helping keep the Pan American World Airways story alive for generations to come and am most grateful to serve the Pan Am Museum.”

Wil A. Alveno
Years With Pan Am: 1988 – 1991; Reservations, WorldPass Frequent Flyer Department “As a Pan Am Museum Board Member, I have been given an opportunity to give back to the one entity that made it all happened for me – PAN AMERICAN WORLD AIRWAYS.”

Diane (Jeans) Studeman
Years With Pan Am: 1963-1964; Stewardess “When the founders of the Pan Am Museum Foundation initiated the strategy to provide a Museum to bring to the public and future generations the pioneering history of Pan Am, it was an honor to be associated in this mission. Flying for the ‘world’s most experienced airline’ was a great privilege and it influenced millions of travelers from all cultures.”

Deborah Gaudioso
“A Pan Am Brat, my parents met while working together in the Pan Am Building, New York City. So truly, I bleed blue. My background in marketing and photography has led me to help tell the history and legacy of Pan American World Airways through our efforts at Pan Am Museum.”

Janice Faia
Years With Pan Am: 1968-1982; Purchasing Clerk, General Telephone Sales – Reservations, Travel Agency Special Services Desk, Reservations, Sales Representative – Manhattan DSO, Account Manager – Manhattan DSO, Manager, Leisure Marketing – Marketing. “In the words of Jim Stengel, ‘Our legacy is how we spend our time and who we spend it with.’ I could not be prouder to have joined forces with a more dedicated group in an endeavor to preserve the heritage of the company that brought us together.”

Pamela Frytag
Years With Pan Am: 1967-1976; Stewardess, “Quarter-Timer” “When I was a fourth grader, a Pan Am Stewardess came to my grammar school for Career Day, complete with stories of exotic places and posters of far off lands. I knew then that someday I wanted to wear that classic blue uniform with the winged hat and see the world. My flying career began in 1967, with the 707 (still my favorite airplane) and ended with the 747. My love for Pan Am has never waned and being part of the Pan Am Museum Foundation is my small way of ensuring that the Pan Am Legacy continues.”

Patricia Boyce Iassonga
Years With Pan Am: 1979-1991, Flight Attendant, Purser “When we say that Pan Am is Family, for me this is quite literally true. My Father was a Pilot for Pan Am for over 40 years, bringing his flying adventures back home to us after every trip. My sisters and I became Pan Am Flight Attendants creating our own flight adventures. It is now my honor and privilege to serve on this Board to preserve the Legacy of Pan American World Airways for future generations to enjoy.”

Penny Warner Powell

Tom Betti
A Norwich University Alumni with a Masters in History, Author, and former Pan Am Passenger. “I am most honored to be a part of the Pan Am legacy. As a young boy on the upper deck of a 747 in 1991, my imagination was forever captured by this great airline. Today as a historian and storyteller, what excites me is there’s so much yet to be told. Though the six-decade history of the airline is best remembered for its numerous technical advancements in aviation history and standards in luxury air travel, it is the past stories of the people at the heart of Pan Am that resonate and inspire across generations.”

Wendy Sue Knecht
Years With Pan Am: 1979-1991, Flight Attendant
Bases: Miami, Los Angeles
For me, Pan Am was the foundation for a life full of education, adventure and understanding of the world we live in. Experience is the greatest teacher of all, and I will forever be grateful for the experience of working for Pan Am and the extended family that still exists today. It is my great honor to serve on the Pan Am Museum Foundation board.
Advisory Board

William O. Studeman
Years With Pan Am: 1958-1962; Ticket Agent “I come from a Pan Am Family dating back to the mid-1930’s, with four members of my family working for the airline, myself included. I had a long Intelligence career in the Navy and was the Director of Naval Intelligence, Director of the National Security Agency and Deputy Director of Central Intelligence and the CIA. Now mostly retired, doing part-time aviation history, I am convinced there are still fascinating and compelling Pan Am stories yet to be told and the PAMF is the perfect platform to pursue these stories.”

James Patrick Baldwin

Gianfranco ``Panda`` Beting

Alfred Gilbert
Alfred Gilbert joined Pan Am in 1978 in New York as a Reservation & Rate Desk agent and later moved with Pan Am to San Francisco in 1981. He still resides in the Bay Area today. In 1985, he left Pan Am for a career in travel agency corporate sales, and worked over the course of his career for Thomas Cook, Carlson Wagonlit, BCD, and American Express.
Alfred also volunteered for the Global Business Travel Association, serving as Program Director, Vice President, and President of local chapters Bay Area Business Travel Association (BABTA) and Silicon Valley Business Travel Association (SVBTA). Today, Alfred and his Australian Shepherd, Roman, are members of the SFO Wags Brigade, offering animal comfort therapy to travelers and airline employees at SFO International Airport.

Atul Kumria
Foundation Staff

Linda Rapacki

Amanda Anello

Kate Ludwid=g
Founding Members
Charles Lindbergh Gold Founding Members
- The Boeing Company
- James Duff
- Maurice J. ”Jack” Grainger
- William G. Karns, In Memory of his wife, Bente E. Vahl-Hansen
- Phillip P. Keene
- Northrop Grumman – Inaugural Gala VIP Reception Sponsor
and Gold Founding Member
Ed Musick Silver Founding Members
- Mr. and Mrs. Edward A. Condit
- John T. and Mary K. Cusack, In Memoriam
- PKF O’Connor Davies – Henry and Linda Freire
- Elizabeth Ehrler
- Captain Haakon “Hack” Gulbransen, In Memoriam
- Suzy Shanbrom-Krabbe
- Captain Dino Vlahakis
Founding Members
- Cornelius Van Aals
- Nelson F. Abdullah
- Adams, Beeby, Blaze, Botts, Chilson, Ford,
Holaday, Kriske, Toscano, Steputis Group - Kenneth W. Andersen
- Captain Joe and Leslie Anding
- Margot and Charles Appleton
- Helen Lindgren Astleford
- Donna and Sebastian Astuto
- Ms. Masako Baba
- John L. Baczynski
- Jill Wien Badger
- G.W. Bailey
- Evalina Barth-Bowen
- Edward M. Battestin Jr., In Memory of his wife, Una (Pat) Battestin
- Miriam G. Bauer
- Joan M. and Derek Benham
- Sharon Benjamin, Raven Benjamin and Shannon Benjamin
- Sibylle Janotte Bokelberg
- Annegret Botur
- Hazel R. Bowie
- Theresa Brennan and Beth Sullivan Lawrence
- Kiyoko and Walt Brown
- Joseph R. Brown
- Cornelia Buerklin
- Diana Cable
- Lissie Nielsen Carino
- Kalena M. Champlin, In Honor of her grandmother, Audre’ B. Swan
- Kalena M. Champlin, In Memory of Ethel (Pat) Williamson, Ingrid Lundert, and Theresa (Terry) Phillips
- Jamie P. and Alfred J. Chilson
- Amy Chu
- Patricia Chu
- Mary Higgins Clark
- Jennifer Coutts Clay
- Ellen Hunt Cohen and Don Cohen
- Mariann Garafalo Coleman
- Wm. Randall “Randy” Cone
- Janet A. Conrad
- Clare J. Christiansen
- Martha Wilbourne Cummings
- M. Kelly Cusack
- Joseph William Dalton
- Joyce Danoekoesoemo, In Memory of Nieves Larracoechea
and the Crew of Pan Am Flight 103* - Alba Davidson, In Memory of her husband, Kenneth R. Davidson
- Jackie DeCicco and Linda L. Marinelli, In Memoriam
- Ana M. DeVoe
- Mary Ann Newell Dietrich
- Cathy Dorr
- Nina Driessen-van der Ree
- Marit Haarberg Doucet
- Julie Ann Ebers
- Ron Elliott and Mark Tamagni
- Charlene Dale Engelbrethson, In Memory of Charles K. Dale, Flight Engineer JFK
- Karin Ewald
- Helena Farquharson
- Lora Reed Ford
- Friends of the Los Angeles World Wings International Chapter
- Friends of the Chicago World Wings International Chapter
- Cynthia Foss
- Debbi Martin Fuller
- Nancy Hult-Ganis
- Brendan Gately
- Bruce Gately
- William D. Gawchik, In Memory of Sue Smith Gawchik
- Dorene and Roger Goad
- Chris and Richard Goldstein, In Memory of Captain Don McKibbin
- Claire L. Graham, In Memory of her father,
Air Commodore Freddie Rump, C.B.E, R.A.F. - Paul Gronert, In Memoriam
- Hannelore Hainke
- Bob Harrell
- Leslie Ann Hogan
- Anne and Jace Holman
- Bob and Marianne Hubert
- Captain Sumner K. Hushing (Retired)
- Jeanne Feldmeier Jackson
- Siri Jacobson
- Tori Andersen Johnson-Kelso
- Allen and Martine Kantrowitz
- William and Claudia Kelly
- Aleta Jean Kennedy
- Roger L. Klein
- Wendy Sue Knecht and Dr. Kalman Edelman
- Harry Korner
- Ursel L. Kratt
- Joan (Wieseneck) Lamonica
- Koster Landis Family
- Martine A. Lardeau
- Jim Leonard
- Patricia A. Lewis, In Memory of Captain Gary Stoecker
- Marie Sterbenz Lindell
- Ruth Loewenstein
- Rosemarie Lusty
- Ron Marasco
- Captain John A. and Carla Marshall
- Masao Masuda
- Tracy Maxwell
- Christel and Edward McCarthy
- Nancy Ryder McCarthy, In Memory of Anthony James (A.J.) McCarthy, Pilot/Engineer and Major U.S.M.C.
- Jean McKaig McCown
- Captain David “Mac” McLay
- Inger S. Mejean, In Memory of her parents
- Jeffry Melnick
- Lisa Merandi
- Honorable William and Mrs. Angela T. Monroe
- Joan L. Moyer, In Memory of Noelle Berti-Campbell and Helga Weiss
- John Mulroy, In Memoriam
- Marilyn Murphy
- Peter and Carol Murphy
- Peter J. Murphy, In Memory of Forrest (Dick) Whitcomb, Pan Am Captain
- Susan Gibbs Murphy
- Masako Nakamuta and Jeffrey Vigneault
- Ralph and Ruby Nishimi, In Honor of
Pan Am’s First 7 Nisei-Sansei Stewardesses** - Nobuko Oganesoff
- Julie O’Reilly, Dave and Angela Wilson
- Walter L. O’Shea
- Stephen C. Orr
- PAN AM ALUMNI ASSOCIATION – JAPAN
- PAN AM AWARE, In Memory of Mary Goshgarian
- PAN AM HISTORICAL FOUNDATION
- Susan R. Piallat
- Gladys Del Valle Picket
- Marilyn Jane Porto
- Neal A. Prince, RA, ASID
- Candice Schwab Provines
- Jack T. Race
- Geraldine Lee Redpath
- Elizabeth Heyerdahl Refsum
- Cyndy Renoff
- Norma Reubel
- George A. Rogers
- Andres E. Savi
- Maricruz Sawaya
- Christine L. Schott, In Memory of Carl. C Schott
- Lone Pendersen Schweitzer
- Barbara Sharfstein
- Marianne Shugrue, In Memory of Martin R. Shugrue Jr.
- Andrea M. Sidor
- Marilyn Slattery, In Memory of T. Bernard Slattery
- Deirdre M. Slevin
- Alicia Smith
- Captain George and Eleanor Smith
- Jean Smith
- Willard Smith, In Memoriam
- Rhea L. Spear
- Carole and Clinton Stanfield
- Captain Thomas J. Stone (Retired)
- Romlee Stoughton
- Bill and Jim Studeman, In Memory of their father, Captain O. J. “Stude” Studeman, Admiral William O. and Diane Studeman
- Donald G. Sullivan
- Marlies Suter
- Audre’ B. Swan
- Audre’ B Swan, In Memory of Ethel (Pat) Williamson, Ingrid Lundert and Theresa (Terry) Phillips
- Joanne Buerklin Swift, In Memory of Captain Errol L. Johnstad
- E. Najla Tanous, JD
- Cheryl A. Taylor
- Pamela Borgfeldt Taylor
- Edward S. Trippe
- Diane and William Toby
- Lorrie Hackensmith Vigneault
- Lee Ann Visnapuu, In Memory of her father, Leslie C. Vickery, FRO
- Eugene P. Vricella and Jill Ramsfield
- Sonja Halvorsen Vukasin, In Memory of her father, Captain Lars J. Halvorsen, Captain of the B-314s
- Brooke Walker
- Paul Ware, In Memory of a gifted friend, Errol Loy Johnstad
- Jeffry L. Watson
- Pamela White
- Richard Wiese, Jr.
- Carol Cosad Young
- Marianne Zaalberg Van Zeist
World Wings International Chapter Founding Members
- Annapolis Chapter
- Bangkok Chapter
- Boston Chapter
- Dallas Fort Worth Chapter
- Florida Biscayne Bay Chapter
- Florida Treasure Coast Chapter
- Fort Lauderdale Chapter
- Hawaii Chapter
- Houston Chapter
- London Chapter, In Memory of the Crew of Pan Am Flight 103*
- Manhattan Chapter
- Miami Chapter
- Oslo Chapter
- Paris/Brussels Chapter
- Phoenix Chapter
- Portland Chapter
- Princeton/Philadelphia Chapter
Pan Am’s First 7 Nisei-Sansei Stewardesses
- Ruby Mizuno CA
- May Hayashi TH
- Louise Otani TH
- Marian Tagawa CA
- Jane Toda TH
- Katherine Shirom TH
- Cynthia Tsujiuchi TH