Jack B. Watson collection
Scope and Contents
Box 1
RPI school photos and memorabilia, photos, documents, awards, degrees.
Box 2
Drinking mugs, RPI/ROTC graduation (1958) and photos, Yvonne Watson Catholic literature and family prayer books, Yvonne childhood portrait.
Box 3
Mason and Yvonne Watson personal items, WW2 Rations book/booklets, Yvonne personal phone book, notes, clippings, recipes.
Box 4
Watson Helicopters, Inc. logo samples, business cards, Corporate Records binder with seal, Lockheed index cards for wind tunnel testing (1960s).
Box 5
Mason Watson historic family documents, estate records.
Box 6
Watson multi-generation family photos.
Box 7
Jack Watson school papers—elementary-high school-college years.
Box 8
Watson Helicopters photos, company letters, papers, dissolution.
Box 9
Special Devices Inc., patented parts samples, acrylic paperweights with embedded stock papers and parts, Jack's name badge, business cards.
Box 10
Business Papers—Corporate and personal.
Dates
- 1866-2005
Conditions Governing Access
Collection is open without restriction.
Biographical / Historical
Jack B. Watson, 1935-2011, was a graduate of RPI where he earned a Masters in Aeronautical Engineering. Watson was a member of Theta Xi Fraternity. Following university he was commissioned as an officer in the US Naval Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1972. In the 1960s he worked for Lockheed Martin. In the 1970s he helped establish Special Devices, Inc. and served as Vice President. The company manufactured airbags for the automotive industry. He also founded Watson Helicopters, Inc.
Extent
10 boxes
9 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Jack B. Watson (RPI Class of 1958), personal and family papers going back to the 19th century, records and ephemera from Watson Helicopters Inc. and Special Devices Inc.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Linda Watson and Lisa McDougald to Institute Archives and Special Collections, May 2025.
General
Item level inventory available in each box.
- Title
- Guide to the Jack B. Watson collection
- Author
- Matthew Golebiewski
- Date
- 2025
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English
Repository Details
Part of the Institute Archives and Special Collections Repository
110 8th Street
Institute Archives and Special Collections
Rensselaer Libraries, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy NY 12180-3590 US
518 276 8340
lib-archives@rpi.edu