Oliver A. Rosto Papers

Material documenting the professional career of Oliver A. Rosto, an aviation pioneer and the recipient of the 1955 Civil Aeronautics Administration Silver Medal for Distinguished Service.

Oliver A. Rosto (1881-1972) was born in Norway and emigrated to the United States as a young man. Rosto made several trips to Europe and while in Paris he took his first aircraft flight, going up as a passenger. In 1909 Rosto was living in Duluth, Minnesota, where he built an aircraft, the Rosto Monoplane. He soloed in the aircraft on November 15, 1909, and went on to make a total of twelve flights in the aircraft. In 1916, he left the United States to enlist in the British Royal Air Force in Toronto, Canada. During World War I, he went with his squadron into Russia on a special mission involving aircraft delivery to the Russians. However, the revolution broke out while he was in Russia and he encountered difficulty in getting out of Russia. By 1917, Rosto had returned to the United States and was an inspector for the Navy, inspecting Curtiss aircraft at their plants in Buffalo and on Long Island. After the War he started work with the American Aircraft Corporation where he designed, tested, and repaired aircraft. In 1928, Rosto became an air carrier maintenance inspector, for the Bureau of Air Commerce, which preceded the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA). He was an international representative from the CAA in Europe from 1946 until his retirement in 1953. After his retirement from the CAA, Rosto served as a liaison representative for Transocean and Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Company. Rosto was awarded the Civil Aeronautics Administration Silver Medal for Distinguished Service in 1955. Rosto was a member of the Early Birds and the OX5 Club of America.