Parrish, Wayne W. (Wayne William), 1907-1984

Wayne W. Parrish was born in Decatur, Illinois on May 2, 1907. He studied journalism at the University of Illinois for two years, while serving as a special correspondent for the Chicago Herald and Examiner. In 1927 he moved to New York City, and put himself through school by working full time as a reporter for the New York Herald Tribune and as a special correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. In 1929 he received a B.Litt degree from the School of Journalism at Columbia University, and he received an MS from Columbia in 1930. While he was at Columbia, Parrish was awarded a Pulitzer Traveling Scholarship to Europe in 1930. After returning to the United States in 1933, he came back to the New York Herald Tribune as a reporter. Two years later he went to work for the Literary Digest, where he stayed for only a short period of time. From 1935-1937 he was the editor of National Aeronautics Magazine in Washington, D.C. On September 15, 1935, Parrish married Frances G. Knight. In 1937 he became the founder and president of American Aviation Publications (1937-1969), and started his own publication, American Aviation. His company began publishing numerous other aviation periodicals, including Aviation Daily, 1939-1969; World Aviation Directory, 1940-1969; Air Cargo magazine, 1957-1969; Armed Forces Management magazine, 1959-1969; Aerospace Daily, 1963-1969; World Space Directory, 1962-1969; Weekly of Business Aviation, 1965-1969; International Aviation, 1966-1969; and Official Airline Guide, 1949-1962. Parrish also published four aviation reference books, Aircraft Yearbook, Aviation Facts and Figures, Aviation Directory, and Who's Who in World Aviation. Parrish served as an editorial consultant to the Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, 1969-1973, and as a Special Representative to the Chairman of Pan American World Airways, 1973-1978. He received a number of awards throughout his career, for excellence in aviation writing. He died in November 1984.

From the description of Parrish, Wayne W. (Wayne William), 1907-1984 (U.S. National Archives and Records Administration). naId: 10571340

Biographical Note

• 1907, May 2: Born, Decatur, Ill.
• 1929: B.Lit. in journalism, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
• 1930: M.S. degree, Columbia University, New York, N.Y.
• 1930 - 1931 : Pulitzer scholarship to travel in Europe
• 1935: Married Frances Knight
• 1937: Founded American Aviation Publications First issue, American Aviation (biweekly magazine), continued in 1959 as Airlift, continued in 1963 as American Aviation, merged in 1969 with Airline Management and Marketing
• 1939: First issue, American Aviation Daily (news service)
• 1940: First issue, American Aviation Directory: Aviation Officials and Companies, United States, Canada & Latin America (semiannual); continued in 1952 as American Aviation World-Wide Directory
• 1943: President, Aviation Writers Association
• 1943 - 1947 : Aviation editor, Liberty Magazine, conducting weekly column, "On the Beam"
• 1944: First issue, American Aviation Traffic Guide, continued in 1948 as Official Airline Guide
• 1954: First issue, Armed Forces Management
• 1956: First issue, Missiles and Rockets, continued in 1967 as Technology Week
• 1957: First issue, Air Cargo Magazine
• 1969: Sold publishing firm to Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.
• 1969 - 1972 : Editorial consultant, Ziff-Davis Publishing Co.
• 1973: Special representative, Pan-American Airways
• 1984, Nov. 9: Died, Washington, D.C.

From the guide to the Wayne W. Parrish Papers, 1912-1976, (bulk 1950-1972), (Manuscript Division Library of Congress)