Russell S. Colley was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts in 1899. He graduated from high school in 1916. Two years later, he graduated from the Wentworth Institute (now Wentworth Institute of Technology) in Boston, Massachusetts with a degree in mechanical engineering. After college he married Dorothy Antle of Stoneham. They had one daughter, Barbara. In 1928, Colley moved to Akron, Ohio to become a mechanical engineer for the aeronautical division of the B. F. Goodrich Company. During his tenure with Goodrich, Colley held numerous sales and development assignments. It was here that he made the "Riv-nut" that allowed a single worker to affix rivets to airplane wings. Also, after fellow engineer William Geer came up with the idea for the first aircraft de-icer in 1932, Colley was asked to make the device operational. Colley then tested the device during a storm that had grounded every other plane. Plane de-icers became and still are a major Goodrich product. Colley's unique contribution with Goodrich was the design and development of space suits, which he worked on for several decades. In 1934, Colley designed a pressurized suit for daredevil pilot Wiley Post, which helped Post reach the jet stream and break new altitude records. During his association with Goodrich, Colley secured as sole inventor or co-inventor of several patents, which were subsequently assigned to the B. F. Goodrich Company. Russell Colley eventually left Goodrich to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he designed the space suits used by the Mercury astronauts. All six original Mercury astronauts went to Akron to be fitted by Colley for their suits, which were two-ply silver nylon coated with neoprene. He said his design was inspired by a tomato worm. After Alan Shephard's flight aboard Freedom 7, the Akron press dubbed Colley "First Tailor of the Space Age" and Goodrich saluted him as "Father of the Spacesuit." Colley also designed special gloves worn by astronaut John Glenn, when he became the first American to orbit space in 1962. Glenn wanted the fingertips to light up so he could see his instrument panel, since lighting in the spaceship was sacrificed to keep the weight down. Colley received NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal in 1994. Colley collected 65 patents in his career. When he retired from NASA, he returned to Ohio where he practiced jewelry design. A watercolor artist, Colley was an original member of the Whiskey Painters of America, founded in 1951 in Akron by industrial designer Joe Ferriot. Colley and others perfected the genre of painting miniature watercolors using alcohol as the medium. Russell Colley died February 4, 1996, in Springfield, Ohio.
From the guide to the Russell S. Colley Papers, 1933-1977, 1933-1977, (Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron)
Helen E. Arnold was born on August 2, 1924 in Burlington, New Jersey. She moved to Akron, Ohio with her family when she was very young. She attended Leggett Elementary School and Central High School in Akron. She obtained her GED in 1966. Arnold attended The University of Akron taking courses in family life, sex education, and board training. She later enrolled in cosmetology school and became a licensed cosmetologist. Arnold also attended numerous workshops, seminars, and conferences offered by the AFL-CIO and other organizations on topics ranging from welfare, poverty, and inner-city violence, to education, the energy crisis, and Pan-Africanism. Arnold worked as a beautician in a beauty shop in the late 1950s before owning her own shop from 1959 to 1962. In 1964, she worked as an interviewer and surveyor for Candeub, Fleissig & Associates, a consulting firm based in Newark, New Jersey that focused on community development and environmental planning. The company was considered the country's largest planning firm in the 1960s. Arnold became an office manager for the City of Akron in 1965 and became a permanent city employee a year later. Helen Arnold married Roy Arnold in 1941. They had nine children that she raised. Helen became a PTA volunteer to assure that everything was being done to provide her children with the best education possible. She also wanted to ensure that the same quality education was available to all children in Akron Public Schools. Therefore, in 1978 she ran for and was elected the first black woman to serve on the Akron Board of Education. During her 24-year tenure she served as board president, was a member of the Ohio School Board Association, and co-founded the Black Ohio School Board Association. Arnold is considered to be one of the first in the Akron/Summit County community to support the Afro-Centric School at Stewart Elementary. In addition to her work in education, Arnold volunteered for numerous organizations in the Akron and Summit County Area and fought tirelessly for equal rights for women and African-Americans. She was the Chairman of Welfare for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). She is probably best known for serving as NAACP Akron Branch President from 1970 to 1972. She also served the Akron Branch as Vice President from 1972 to 1974 and as Past President and Governing Board Member. Arnold also held the title of Chairman for the District IV Ohio NAACP and for the Ohio Black Political Caucus. She also held the position of President and Secretary for the Community Action Council of Summit County and Greater Akron. Furthermore, Arnold was a member of JACS, the Brotherhood Action Committee, the Panel of American Women, and the 14th Congressional Black Caucus. Helen Arnold received numerous awards and certificates for her work in education and civil rights. This includes the NAACP Appreciation Award, the Akron Community Service Center & Urban League Award, the Community Action Council Award of Appreciation, the WHLO Good Citizen Award, and the North Akron Neighborhood Council Award. She also received a letter of commendation from the Summit County-Greater Akron Community Action Council's Governing Board. Helen Arnold passed away in February of 2001. In 2004, the Akron School Board honored her by naming a new school building in her honor. The Helen E. Arnold Community Learning Center is located on Vernon Odom Boulevard near the site of the former Lane School. It was dedicated and opened in 2007.
From the guide to the Helen E. Arnold Papers, 1965-1975, 1965-1975, (Archival Services, University Libraries, The University of Akron)
