Jules "Jay" Mermoud Collection

The Jules "Jay" Mermoud Collection reflects his career as a producer, cinematographer, and media graphic specialist for McDonnell Douglas (then Douglas Aircraft) from the mid-1950s until his retirement in 1987. Mermoud worked extensively with NASA at a variety of locations within the United States. This material is particularly rich in documenting the early space missions of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Apollo-Soyuz, the Thor and Skybolt missions and a variety of Douglas/McDonnell Douglas aircraft such as the F-15 Streak Eagle.

Jules "Jay" Mermoud (1925--1991) was born Monett, Missouri. After graduating from high school, he joined the Army Air Corps prior to the end of World War II. He then attended the University of Southern California and earned a Bachelor's degree in Cinema in 1952. Upon completion, he briefly worked as a film extra and appeared in such movies as "Above and Beyond" and "Pat and Mike." From 1952 until 1956, Mermoud was employed by three television stations as a cinematographer, film director, editor and on-camera moderator that took him to various cities including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Fresno, California; Los Angeles, California; Tulsa Oklahoma; and Muskogee, Oklahoma, where he was the host of an outdoor show called "Oklahoma Outdoors." He also met and married his beloved wife Marilyn in 1954. Two years later, he landed a job with McDonnell Douglas' Tulsa Division as a producer/coordinator where he was responsible for scientific and engineering camera instrumentation support for special testing programs relating to the Douglas RB-66 and WB-66 Destroyer development. From 1958 to 1963 he was a photo coordinator, producer and director at the Atlantic Missile Range where he instituted all contractual photography range support in the Thor, Thor-Able, Skybolt and Saturn rocket programs. Beginning in mid-1963, he was responsible for all photography coordination relating to crewed spaceflight at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. While living there, Mermoud's wife Marilyn was an active member of the Women's Clubs of Merritt Island and Cocoa Beach. Marilyn was also a member of the Space Pioneer Wives. In July 1969, the family relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, where Jay became Supervisor of Cinematography, later advancing to Section Manager of Photo Services a mere two years later. He was promoted again at McDonnell Douglas when he was named the Staff Specialist of film and television production and program development. Mermoud's striking photographs appeared in such publications as Industrial Photography, Janes' All the World's Aircraft, National Geographic, Aviation Week, Missiles and Rockets and Popular Science and at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. He was also an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed playing jazz bass and piano.