Transocean Air Lines Officials
BOARD OF DIRECTORS-1946
Orvis M. Nelson, Chairman
Ray T. Elsmore
Sidney J. Nelson
John McC. Hodgson
Warren D. Williams
OFFICERS-1946
Orvis M. Nelson, President
Ray T. Elsmore, Executive Vice President
W.E. Rhoades, Vice President
Douglass F. Johnson, Secretary
Sherwood A. Nichols, Assistant Secretary
George V. Nikolashin, Treasurer
L.G. Breitner, Comptroller
ORVIS M. NELSON
1907-1976
President
B.A. Franklin College, Franklin, Indiana, 1932; M.A., University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 1944; U.S. Army Air Corps, 1927-1929, 1932-1935; graduate Air Corps Technical Training School, Chanute Field, Illinois, 1928; graduate Randolph & Kelly Fields, 1933; First Officer and Captain, United Air Lines, 1935-1946; Captain, United Air Lines, Alaskan & Pacific Operations, 1943-1945; Chairman, United Air Lines Pilots' Master Executive Council; member United Air Lines Pilots' System Board of' Adjustment: First Vice President, Air Line Pilots' Association, 1942-1946; held CAA Airman's Certificate #29875, Air Line and Transport Pilot Rating, multi-engine aircraft; logged pilot flying in excess of 13,000 hours. founder and President of Transocean Air Lines, 1946-1960; Chairman of the Board, Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Company, 1951; Chairman of the Board, Oakland Aircraft Engine Service, Inc., Director of Transocean Engineering Corporation.
RAY. T. ELSMORE
1891-1957
Executive Vice President
Colonel, U.S. Army Air Corps, Reserve; L.L.B., University of Utah, 1916; admitted to Bar, Utah, 1916; Deputy County Attorney, Salt Lake County, 1916-1917; U.S. Army Air Corps World War I, 1917-1919; piloted first air mail flight out of Salt Lake City, 1928, for National Park Airways, and flew as air mail pilot for National Park Airways and Western Air Express, 1938-1940; Commanding Officer 329th Observation Squadron, Air Corps Reserve Unit, for states of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada for 13 years between 1919-1940; at time of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941, in command of 5th Airbase Group, Island of Mindanao, PI.; supervised evacuation from Philippines of General MacArthur and his staff, and of 'President Quezon and members of his cabinet; left Philippines for Australia on night of April 29, 1942 on last aircraft leaving Philippines.
Colonel Elsmore was awarded the Legion of Merit for services on Island of Mindanao; on February 1, 1943, became Director of Transport, Allied Air Forces, Southwest Pacific Area, consisting of all U.S. Army Air Forces and Royal Australian Air Force Air Transport type airplanes in theatre when Directorate organized; awarded Distinguished Service Medal for his services in air transport; in October 1944, became Commanding Officer, 322nd Troop Carrier Wing operating air courier service for entire Southwest Pacific Area for General MacArthur's headquarters; held Army Command Pilot rating, with more than -15,000 hours of military and airline pilot time (by year 1949). Colonel Elsmore joined Transocean Air Lines in 1946 as Vice President and one of the Transocean originals. He was appointed president of the airline's subsidiary company, Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Company on June 2, 1948.
W.E. RHOADES
1906
Vice President (Director)
United Air Lines pilot 1933-1942, Director of Transocean Air Lines and its subsidiary, Western Sky Industries, Inc., 1949-1962. Colonel, U.S. Air Force 1943-1946, Pilot for General Douglas MacArthur; awarded Air Medal Legion of Merit.
DOUGLASS F. JOHNSON
1913
Secretary (Vice President/Director)
Graduate, University of California, Los Angeles, Economics and Business Administration, 1935; financial analyst with the State of California, Dept. of Finance, 1 year; junior member of consulting firm doing financial analysis and business administration, 3 years; U.S. Naval Reserve, 1931-1941, CAA Instructor in Navigation and meteorology, joined TWA as Assistant Supervisor of Navigation Training for ATC contract school, 1942; U.S. Navy, January 1, 1944, Lt. (jg); Flight
Navigator for Naval Air Transport Service; Lt. Commander and Director of Staff of Admiral J. W. Reeves, Jr., Commander and Director, Naval Air Transport Committee problems. Sales Manager, Transocean Air Lines, 1946-1948; Vice President Sales and Director Transocean Air Lines, 1948-1950; Executive Vice President and Director of Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Company, 1951.
SHERWOOD A. NICHOLS
1913
Assistant Secretary (Vice President/Director) Attended Midland Radio and Television School, one year; Station Attendant, United Air Lines, 1941-1942; Supervisor, Midland Army Radio Schools, 1942-1943; Flight Radio Operator, United Air Lines, 1943-1946; licenses, FCC Radio Telephone 1st Class, FCC Radio Telegraph 2nd Class; Chief Radio Operator for Transocean Air Lines, one year; more than 3,000 hours flying time (as of 1951); Executive Assistant, Transocean Air Lines, 1947- 1950; Secretary, Transocean Air Lines, 1947-1951; Executive Vice President, Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Company, 1950-1951; Treasurer of Transocean Engineering Corporation, 1951; Director of Transocean Air Lines, 1951.
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During Transocean Air Lines' first year of operation the company was assisted by Paul E. Hoover, vice president of the Anglo-California National Bank of San Francisco, and Reginald S. Laughlin, San Francisco attorney and company counsel. Other Members of the Board of Directors/Officers of Transocean Air Lines and Subsidiaries 1946-1960:
SAMUEL L. WILSON - Executive Vice President/Board of Directors
JOHN M. HODGSON - Board of Directors
W.D. WILLIAMS - Board of Directors
J.A. ULLNER - Assistant Secretary
H. BRUCE OBERMILLER - Treasurer
RICHARD PETTIT - Executive Assistant/Legal Counsel
ALLAN A. BARRIE - Atlantic-European Manager, Taloa Trading Company
WILLIAM L. KEATING - Vice President, Operations
E. W. RINGO - Director of Operations, (Vice President)
HARVEY ROGERS - Chief Pilot, Pacific Division
JOHN HOENNINGER - Director of Navigation
FRANK SOARES - Director of Communications
JOSEPH A. REILLY - Counsel, Washington, D.C.
ROBERT L. BAKER – Treasurer
JESSE H. BANNISTER - Assistant Treasurer
ROYAL MINSON - Assistant Secretary
ELIZABETH M. BERENS - Secretary-Treasurer
GLEN LEASON - Board of Directors