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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1998)
' -T . " •ta S S - B LA C K H IS T O R Y <¿ • ¡ ' ••• y M O N T H • t y • • * • ' * 1 9 • " 9 8 February 25,1998 C4 Engineering The Spruce Goose B \ P rofessor M ( K inle B i rt This week I present to you, Mr. Don Rutherford, our next African American engineer whose innova tive designs has had a major impact on the technology of the nation and the world. A Portland native, Mr. Rutherford graduated from Benson Technical High School in 1932 as a technical aviation major. An imaginative and prolific in ventor, ‘ Don, ’ as he likes to be cal led, designed the all important “throttle controls” for Howard Hughes’ famed “Spruce Goose.” Our highly re spected skilled craftsman and inven tor was aboard that historic maiden flight o f the largest airplane in the world as “system specialist”; an “engineer’s engineer,” whose de manding job was to keep any and all systems “go” under any circumstance. But we get ahead of our story, l.et us go back a few years and listen to Don’s own narration, often terse, fac tual and to the point, as would be expected o f a competent engineer. Don is from a pioneering Portland family, several o f whom had illustri ous careers o f their own (see pp. 32 and 33 o f the 1995 edition, “Corner stones o f Community: Buildings o f Portland’s African American His tory” ). “ My father and uncle were re cruited in Columbia, South Carolina, to com e west to work in the newly opened Portland Hotel. My father was the house barber and my uncle was a bellboy. Soon, thereafter, they purchased a two-story building which was located in what is now dow n town Portland, here, they opened a Barber shop, general store, and were Wells Fargo agents. One the second floor they operated a rooming house and bath house (1880).” “ I graduated from a technical high school and was a technical aviation major. My graduation class was re cruited by an agent o f the “U.S. Aid to China.” I was rejected.” “This same class was later re cruited by Clair Chennault and be came part o f the original Flying ti gers o f the Chinese Air Force.” “ During the period between high school graduation and entering col lege (1932-1936) 1 tried to enlist in the R A F. and also the French air force both rejected me. I later ap plied to Boeing Aeronautical School but, here again, rejection.” “ By now, my tow brothers had finished college and I entered col lege. I graduated from the Univer sity o f Oregon, Class o f 19 4 1 with a B.A. in Science, and only 5 blacks in the entire class.” “ In December, 1940, I arrived in Los Angeles and in May, 1941,1 was hired at the Santa Monica plant o f Douglas Aircraft Co. as a tool de signer. All during World War II i designed jigs and fixtures, forming and blanking dies and modified pro duction machinery for use by the handicapped.” There is so much unsaid here, o f course, and I have reams o f docu mentation in support o f the trials and tribulations that beset this highly qualified African American in his quest for professional employment, either at home or abroad. No diffi culty here making a case for “affir mative action” programs. Our deter mined and persevering Mr. Ruther ford continues his saga. “At the end o f World War II, I accompanied my supervisor to the Hughes Tool Co. Aircraft Division in CulverCity where I spent the next 12 years, mostly as a systems de signer for the Hughes Flying Boat project. Among my contributions were: design o f pilots’ engine throttle control system, pilots’ instrument panels, a system to prevent variable pitch propellers from going into re verse while airborne; developed pro cess and spraying metal on wood; participated in an in-depth study o f facilities for water-based planes to carry oil Held equipment; (transferred to helicopter section) designed trans- missions and clutches for helicop ters; participated in developing forced air cooling systems for heli copter line engines; participated in study o f helicopter vibration; de signed various mechanical devices pertinent to aircraft power plant con trol.” “ At the shu td o w n o f the Fly- ing Boat p ro ject, I found w ork at Litton Industries in B everly H ills, C alifo rn ia. H ere, I w as a group lead er in the T actical W eapons D esign L ab oratory. T he w ork w as top se c re t but i can d iv u lg e the fo llow ing: I desig n ed read a n d w r ite h e a d s a s w e ll as m em ory d ru m s for c o m p u te rs (1 9 5 8 ); desig n ed high p re ssu re valv es cap ab le o f o p e ra tin g at high a ltitu d e and low te m p e ra tu res; desig n ed array o f e x p lo sion p ro o f housings; d esig n ed m iniature m echanism s; desig n ed special fa c ilitie s for gold p la tin g c irc u it b o ard s; designed c la s s i fied uses for co n d u c tiv e ru b b e r.” D u rin g his y e a r at L itto n , Mr. R u th e rfo rd w as also en ro lle d in U CLA E x ten sio n c lasses w o rk ing to w ard a te a c h in g c re d e n tia l. T hough he re a liz e d his w ork w as c ritic a l to the d e fe n se o f th is n a tio n , Don d e cid ed he could m ake a m ore p ro d u c tiv e use o f his ta l ent by d e liv e rin g his kn o w led g e to o u r y outh. H is ch o ice w as to teach m achine d esig n at Los A n g e le s S o u th w e s t C o lle g e , a s c h o o l w ith a p r e d o m in a te ly b lack e n ro llm e n t. There is so much more I could cite ofthe significant technology invented by this “engineers engineer,” but there is not the space here. A number o years ago I did a television feature on his U.S. Patent No. 2680268, June 8, 1954. This patent is for the sliding door panel and latch that you see on automotive vans all over the world today. D on’s friends from yesteryear de scribe a mechanical and electrical genius o f a teenager who could fix or design anything. Who could convert gasoline powered cars to diesel. Al ready on the way to become the m e chanical genius who could design the engine throttle controls for the w orld’s largest flying machine: eight massive 4,360 horsepower engines, each 112 cylinders and 224 spark plugs. And all the power needed for a plane which dwarfs the size o f our familiar C-130 was controlled by a system at Howard H ughes’ finger tips, and designed by Portland’s Don Rutherford. What a role model for our youth. Recently widowed, Mr. Ruther ford still gives life his all. He and his lovely wife, Joy, a dedicated educa tor, spent many enjoyable years to gether. They traveled three conti nents in a a motor home when on vacation, making life-long friends around the world. We thank both o f these African Americans role mod els for their great contributions. Eighth Annual Cascade Festival of African Films Shines at PCC Attendees o f the Shiloh Baptist Church in the Montavilla section o f Portland in 1916. The social center o f the Black community before 1940 was the Black church. Courtesy o f the Oregon Historical Society. All films are free and open to the public, thanks to our many community supporters! Clando Le Grand Blanc De Lambarene Cameroon, 1996, directed by Jean-MarieTeno. Feb. 26, 1:30 p.m. Feb. 28,7:30 p.m. Cameroon and Gabon, 1995, directed by Bassek ba Kobhio. Feb. 19, noon Feb. 20-21,7:30 p.m. Deluge Great Great Great Grandparents’ Music Saturday Family Film Day Adama The Fulani Magician The Greedy Child Ramohamy’s Son Burkina Faso, 1997, directed by Taale Laafi Rosellini. Rosellini w ill be at the Friday screening to present and com m ent on his film. Feb. 26, noon Feb.27,7:30 p.m. Feb. 21,2-3:30 p.m. Celebrate Black History Month with PCC I Call 244 -61 11, ext. 3630 fo r brochure. Cascade Campus 705 N o rth Killingsworth Terrell Hall auditorium Free Parking USA and Ethiopia, 1995, directed by Salem Mekuria. March 5, noon March 6, 7:30 p.m. Flame Zimbabwe, 1996, directed by Ingrid Sinclair. March 5 , 1 p.m. March 7,7:30 p.m. Portland Community College
