Guide to the Henry Stout, Wright Brothers Collection

Biography of Biography or History

Henry Sanford Stout (1892-1976) was a life-long resident of Dayton, Ohio. As a teenager, he recalled bicycling to Huffman Prairie with friends to catch a glimpse of Wilbur and Orville Wright flying. Wilbur and Orville's sister, Katharine Wright, was Henry Stout's high school Latin teacher, and their nephew, Milton Wright, was a classmate of Henry's. Given his history with the Wright family, Henry was an avid researcher of Wright history. He knew Orville Wright, Mabel Beck (Wright's secretary), Carrie Grumbach (Wright's housekeeper), and numerous members of the Wright Family.

Henry graduated from Denison University and followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a successful insurance agent. He celebrated 50 years as an underwriter in Dayton for John Hancock Mutual Life. From 1954-1958, Henry Stout served as Mayor of Dayton. He also served on the Dayton City Commission and the Dayton City Planning Board. Henry Stout was a member of First Baptist Church of Dayton.

Scope and Content

The collection is focused on the Wright brothers and their invention of powered flight. It contains Stout's handwritten notes highlighting dates and notable events in Wright brothers history. The collection also consists of Stout's collected newspaper clippings, magazine articles, pamphlets on aviation and Wright brothers history, as well as scattered correspondence, and programs from events commemorating the Wright's place in aviation history.

The collection is arranged into eight folders, with no apparent order. However, the collection is small and easily navigated. Of note is a piece of original fabric from the 1903 Flyer in folder 5; the program and a copy of Milton Wright's remarks from the 1948 presentation ceremony of the 1903 Flyer at the Smithsonian in folder 6; and a 1950 letter from Mabel Beck to Henry Stout regarding her opinion of an advertisement featuring the Wright brothers in folder 4. Stout also included programs from special events, such as the 1954 Early Birds banquet program, and the 3rd Annual Aviation Hall of Fame Awards Program from 1964. The last folder contains Stout's notes on the history of his church, the First Regular Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply. Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Restrictions on Access

There are no restrictions on accessing materials in this collection.

MS-1 Wright Brothers Collection (
https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/wrightbrothers/)

MS-216 Ivonette Wright Miller Papers (
https://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/collectionguides/files/ms216.pdf)

Stout, Henry, "Interview with Henry Stout" (1967). Wright Brothers - Charles F. Kettering Oral History Project. 4.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/archives_wrightkett_oh/4

In 1979, the following items were relocated to MS-1 Wright Brothers Collection: A NCR Weekly broadside commemorating the death of Wilbur Wright, June 1, 1912.(WB-1, File 4)

Photograph of the 1903 flight made from the original negative. The photograph was given to Henry Stout by Harold and Ivonette Miller (MS-1, Box 31, item 106).

Two photographs (once framed) of Wilbur and Orville Wright (MS-1, Box 31, item 107 and 108)

The following books were separated from the collection, and cataloged for the reading room:

Boyd, Thomas A. Professional Amateur: The Biography of Charles Franklin Kettering. , 1957. Print. (TL140 .K4 B6)

Charnley, Mitchell V. The Boys Life of the Wright Brothers. New York: Harper, 1928. Print. (TL540 .W7 C4)

Flight, Fantasy, Faith, Fact: A Loan Exhibition Commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of Powered Flight, 1903-1953. Dayton: Printing Service, Inc., 1953. Print. (N8217 .F6 D3)

Kelly, Fred C. (Fred Charters). The Wright Brothers: a biography authorized by Orville Wright. New York: Harcourt, Brace and company, 1943. Print. Autographed by Orville Wright, Fred Kelly, Benjamin Foulois, Frank P. Lahm, Grover Loening, James M. Cox, Walter Brookins and others; p. [1] has authenticated piece of wing fabric flown at Kitty Hawk, N.C., Dec. 17, 1903. (Aviation - TL 539 .W7 K4)

Villard, Henry S. Contact!: The Story of the Early Birds. New York: Crowell, 1968. Print. (TL670 .V5)

Wright, Orville. How We Invented the Airplane. New York: McKay, 1953. Print. (TL540 .W7 .A215)

Wright, Wilbur, and Orville Wright. Miracle at Kitty Hawk: The Letters of Wilbur and Orville Wright. New York: Farrar, Straus and Young, 1951. Print. (TL540 .W7 A23)

Subject Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Persons:

Places:

Preferred Citation

[Description of item, Date, Box #, Folder #], MS-71, Henry Stout, Wright Brothers Collection, Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.

Acquisition Information

Mrs. Henry Stout donated the materials in this collection in January 1979.

Other Finding Aid

The finding aid is available on the Special Collections & Archives, Wright State University Libraries web site at
https://wright.libraryhost.com/repositories/2/resources/725.