Louis S. Casey
DOB: 07/10/23
Louis S. Casey served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II, from March 1943 until February 1946. The last 18 months of this service was spent in the Air Transport Command.
In 1948, Mr. Casey received a Bachelors' degree in Aviation Operations Engineering from Parks College (University of St. Louis) in St. Louis, Missouri, and he accepted the position of Assistant Director of Civil Aviation in Bermuda. He and his family moved to Norwich, Vermont, in 1956, where he taught various aviation subjects at Norwich University for two years.
Mr. Casey was appointed to the Federal Government and served as Curator and Head of the Flight Craft Division of the Smithsonian Institution from 1958 until his retirement in 1981. During his tenure, he was responsible for acquiring well-known and/or historically significant aircraft for the museum and conceptualizing and organizing numerous popular exhibits. Mr. Casey established and maintained a broad network of professional contacts with individuals in museums world-wide. As the recognized expert in Curtiss aircraft, he was often called upon to authenticate and appraise aircraft and aircraft-related paraphernalia. With his colleagues, Mr. Casey was instrumental in obtaining Congressional approval for the design and construction of the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
His life-long love of aviation extended beyond the boundaries of the Smithsonian to his personal life. For many years, his hobby was the restoration of the Miles Mohawk, an airplane which was built expressly for and flown by Charles A. Lindbergh. In 1999, Mr. Casey donated the Miles Mohawk to the Royal Air Force Museum in England, where the restoration is being completed.
Mr. Casey and his wife, Rosanne, reside in Charlottesville, Virginia.