This series encompasses the principal sequence of analog photographic assignments generated under Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters auspices, from the Department's establishment to the end of the analog photography era.
Coverage spans the tenures of Transportation Secretaries Alan Boyd (1967-1969), John Volpe (1969-1972), Claude Brinegar (1973-1975), William Coleman, Jr. (1975-1977), Brock Adams (1977-1979), Neil Goldschmidt (1979-1981), Andrew Lewis, Jr. (1981-1983), Elizabeth Hanford Dole (1983-1987), James Burnley IV (1987-1989), Samuel Skinner (1989-1991), Andrew Card, Jr. (1992-1993), Federico Pena (1993-1997), and Rodney Slater (1997-2001), along with the first four years (2001-2004) of the Norman Mineta tenure. The series also incorporates a smaller group of pre-Department assignments carried out by agencies that would later become Department components, with the earlier material folded into the central file as the Department headquarters photo unit consolidated holdings in 1968.
At its core, the series provides a day-to-day visual record of the activities of the respective Secretaries--and, via portraits, provides at least a basic visual accounting of the rest of the Department's higher-echelon officials--who shaped policy on the nation's air, highway, rail, and sea systems through the final decades of the 20th Century and the beginning of the 21st.
Photographic focal points include portrait sittings and swearing-in ceremonies for the Secretaries, other senior Department officials, and heads of major component agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), and U.S. Coast Guard; Secretaries and other officials participating in press conferences, briefings, meetings, summits, Congressional hearings, town halls, policy roundtables and symposia, as well as bill-signing and agreement-signing ceremonies; official visits by the Secretaries and others to DOT facilities and to transportation sites across the country for inspections and fact-finding missions, program launchings and promotions, construction ground-breaking and completion events, and historical commemorations; and visits to DOT headquarters by political, military, scientific, and cultural dignitaries, American and foreign.
Along with the coverage of officials' activities, the series provides a strong documentary accent on facilities. There are numerous views of exteriors and interiors, and of operations, systems, technologies, and personnel at DOT centers in the Washington, D.C. region (e.g., the Department headquarters Nassif Building, the FHWA's Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center and predecessors, the FAA's Washington Air Route Traffic Control Center) and beyond. There is similarly extensive coverage of transportation hubs in the D.C. metro area (e.g., Union Station, Dulles International Airport, Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Washington National Airport--or Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport by 1998) and across the country.
Highlighted, as well, are myriad technical innovations emerging from DOT-supported research and development projects--from radar enhancements and airplane de-icing equipment to turbo trains, light-rail vehicles, and advanced technology transit buses, and from new information technology (IT) applications to new car seat designs to the anthropomorphic test devices used in automobile collision research (including the best-known crash-test dummies, "Larry" and "Vince," associated with numerous DOT-sponsored safety campaigns).
There is attention to roll-outs and inaugural journeys of new transport craft, and there is also attention to some of the older stalwarts, including the long-time Coast Guard training ship, the "Eagle," visited by many Secretaries over the years. Images relate to wider physical horizons, as well. Highways, and the landscapes and cityscapes surrounding them, throughout the U.S. are featured in the many photographs entering the central file via the FHWA's long-running awards competition, "The Highway and Its Environment" (later renamed "Excellence in Highway Design").
Events of political and technological significance covered in this series include the first day of Department operations (April 1, 1967), with Secretary Boyd greeting employees and leading transport-themed celebrations. Boyd is shown meeting, the following week, with President Lyndon Johnson at the White House, and coverages from the Department's early years also document the first appearance of the Budd Company-built Metroliner at Washington, D.C.'s Union Station (1968), the inaugural Metroliner run from D.C. to Philadelphia (1969), and one of the formative national gatherings of safety advocates and administrators under the National Highway Safety Program (1969).
Highlights from the Volpe tenure include photos of the Secretary hosting a visit by President Richard Nixon to DOT headquarters (1969), Volpe swearing in the members of the National Vehicle Safety Council, including consumer advocate Ralph Nader (1969), the ground-breaking ceremony for construction of D.C.'s Metro system (1969), Volpe joining President Nixon at the 1970 signing ceremony for the Airport-Airway Development Act, and joining Attorney General John Mitchell and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover, among others, at the signing event the same year for a major set of anti-hijacking measures, and Volpe conducting a press conference on rail service under the newly-created National Railroad Passenger Corporation, commonly known as Amtrak (1970). Secretary Brinegar is featured with President Gerald Ford at the signing event for the National Mass Transportation Assistance Act of 1974, highlighting a new accent on urban mass transit and energy conservation themes.
Historic events covered also include the swearing-in ceremony for Coleman, the Department's first African-American Secretary (1975); Coleman's press briefing on the issuance of the Department's first National Transportation Policy statement (1975); public hearings on the noise pollution issue raised by flights of the supersonic jet, the Concorde, and Coleman's later press conference announcing the decision to allow limited transatlantic service for the Concorde (1976); the Concorde's inaugural flight from Dulles International Airport (1976); Coleman at the signing ceremony for the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, providing final approval for the national freight system, Conrail; and the Opening Day ceremonies for Washington, D.C.'s Metro rail system (1976).
Secretary Adams is shown leading hearings on automobile fuel economy standards, and announcing the first federal mandate on auto air bag installation (1977). Among other Adams highlight coverages are the Secretary's appearance with President Jimmy Carter at the White House (1977), Adams hosting DOT visits by television personality Johnny Carson (1977) and author Alex Haley (1978), and the DOT forum on the impact of the national 55 miles-per-hour speed limit (1978). For the Goldschmidt tenure, the Secretary's announcements on ride-sharing initiatives (1979), his Earth Day "Bike-in" promotion (1980), and his press conference on the Motor Carrier Act of 1980 deregulating the trucking industry, are among the signature events photographed. Turn of the 1980's coverages include Secretary Lewis conferring with FAA staff following the mass replacement of striking air traffic controllers (1981), Lewis hosting a DOT visit by President Ronald Reagan (1982), Lewis announcing the ban on supertankers entering Washington's Puget Sound (1982), and five former FAA Administrators gathering for Congressional testimony on airline deregulation and other issues (1982).
The swearing-in of Dole as the Department's first female Secretary (1983) is another milestone documented in the series. Other highlights from the Dole era include the signing of the Shipping Act of 1984 (carrying major implications for the Maritime Administration that had become part of DOT two years earlier), Dole's promotional event for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) on the steps of the U.S. Capitol (1984), Dole hosting DOT visits by pop music star Michael Jackson (1984) and British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher (1985), Dole's announcement with President Reagan of the privatization of Conrail (1986), and Dole's announcement of the transfer of management responsibilities for Washington National Airport and Dulles International Airport from the federal government to regional authorities (1987).
Also in focus: Secretary Burnley joining other dignitaries at the dedication of Washington, D.C.'s newly-renovated Union Station (1988). Major coverages from the Skinner era show the Secretary speaking at the National Press Club in the wake of the Exxon-Valdez oil spill and the Eastern Airlines strike (1989), conferring with President George H.W. Bush at the White House (1990), announcing the re-institution of Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for U.S. automakers (1990), and launching the "Moving America into the 21st Century" planning initiative (1990). Skinner's high-profile 1991 public briefings--on the railroad workers strike, and on new approaches to national highway planning under the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA)--are also spotlighted in this series.
For the Card tenure, 1992 coverage highlights include ceremonies marking the 40th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the signing of a new partnership statement by officials of the FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Card meeting with visiting Russian President Boris Yeltsin, the Secretary's work (as Presidential Task Force coordinator) overseeing Hurricane Andrew crisis response operations in Florida, and Card's announcement of the National Drunk and Drugged Driving prevention campaign.
The 1993 swearing-in of Pena as DOT's first Secretary of Latino heritage also draws extensive coverage. Pena-era photo shoots feature the Secretary signing a series of "Open Skies" bilateral agreements with counterparts from countries around the world (1993-1994); Pena joining Vice President Al Gore for "Reinvent Government" promotions (1993), and for a press conference on the issue of privatizing FAA air traffic control functions (1994); Pena with Arizona Senator John McCain, other Congressional leaders, and Department of Interior officials discussing efforts to limit commercial airline overflights of National Parks (1994); Pena launching a series of transportation safety campaigns, from driving "No Zone" and "Lights on for Safety" to "Moving Kids Safely" and "Always Expect a Train" (1994-1995); the Secretary headlining the first North America Transportation Summit (1994); and the Secretary meeting at the White House with President Bill Clinton and prominent business leaders to promote the "Partnering with the Private Sector on Foreign Transportation Projects" initiative (1996).
During the tenure of Slater, the Department's second African-American leader, the Secretary is shown leading activities marking DOT's 30th anniversary, and joining a host of dignitaries at Union Station to honor civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks (1997). Also featured: Slater and other DOT officials participating in the first International Conference on Transportation, Traffic Safety, and Health (1997); Slater at Capitol Hill roll-outs for the advanced technology transit bus, and the FHWA's Scenic Byways Program (1998); Slater joining President Clinton at the 1998 signing ceremony for the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), establishing new guidelines for regional transportation planning and funding; Slater announcing new new auto safety rules on advanced air bag installation (2000); and the Secretary announcing the creation of a new component agency, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (2000).
For the final years of series coverage, photo highlights include the swearing-in of Mineta, the Department's first Asian-American Secretary, and numerous events reflecting the impact, immediate and longer term, of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. of September 11, 2001. Mineta is shown conferring with an array of officials at the Department's Crisis Management Center, receiving briefings from Federal Emergency Management Agency specialists, meeting with commercial airline executives, monitoring FAA operations, conducting press conferences on air safety and airport security issues, leading a National Dialogue Summit on Homeland Defense, and addressing DOT employees on the new era of security consciousness. Organizational changes resulting from 9/11 are reflected in coverages of Mineta swearing in leaders of the newly-created Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in 2002, highlighting the new TSA operations at Washington, D.C.-area airports (2002), joining Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Coast Guard Commandant Thomas Collins at the "Change of Watch" ceremony marking the shift of the Coast Guard from DOT to Homeland Security (2003), and leading a "Salute to TSA" event prior to the TSA transfer to Homeland Security (2003).
In addition to the Secretaries, those serving as DOT second in command appear frequently in portrait, meeting, and speaking contexts in this series. Represented are the respective Under Secretaries from the Department's first decade--Everett Hutchinson, John Robson, James Beggs, and John Barnum--and, thereafter, the Deputy Secretaries, Alan Butchman, William Beckham, Jr., Darrell Trent, James Burnley IV (the first DOT Deputy Secretary to become Secretary), Mimi Weyforth Dawson, Elaine Chao (whose later Secretarial tenure post-dates this series), James Busey IV, Mortimer Downey, and Michael P. Jackson.
Also showing a strong presence in the series are the respective FAA Administrators--William McKee, John Shaffer, Alexander Butterfield, John McLucas, Langhorne Bond, J. Lynn Helms, Donald Engen, T. Allan McArtor, James Busey IV, Thomas Richards, David Hinson, Jane Garvey, and Marion Blakey--along with the FHWA Administrators from the DOT era, Lowell Bridwell, Francis Turner, Norbert Tiemann, William Cox, Karl Bowers, John Hassell, Jr., Raymond Barnhart, Robert Farris, Thomas Larson, Rodney Slater (in his pre-Secretarial service), Kenneth Wykle, and Mary Peters (another future Secretary).
Represented at least with portraits, often with swearing-in shots, and in some cases with other activity coverages are the respective Coast Guard Commandants, Admirals Willard Smith, Chester Bender, Owen Siler, John Hayes, James Gracey, Paul Yost, Jr., J. William Kime, Robert Kramek, James Loy, and Thomas Collins; FRA heads A. Scheffer Lang, Reginald Whitman, John Ingram, Asaph Hall, John Sullivan, Robert Blanchette, John Riley, Gilbert Carmichael, Jolene Molitoris, and Allan Rutter; and Urban Mass Transportation Administration (by 1992, Federal Transit Administration) heads Carlos Villarreal, Frank Herringer, Robert Patricelli, Richard Page, Theodore Lutz, Arthur Teele, Jr., Ralph Stanley, Alfred DelliBovi, Brian Clymer, Gordon Linton, and Jennifer Dorn.
Also represented: National Highway Safety Bureau (by the end of 1970, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) heads Douglas Toms, James Gregory, Joan Claybrook, Raymond Peck, Diane Steed, Jerry Curry, Ricardo Martinez, and Jeffrey Runge; St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Directors Joseph McCann, David Oberlin, James Emery, Stanford Parris, Gail McDonald, and Albert Jacquez; 1982-on Maritime Administration heads Harold Shear, John Gaughan, Warren Leback, Albert Herberger, Clyde Hart, Jr., and William Schubert; and 1960's-1970's National Transportation Safety Board Chairmen Joseph O'Connell and John Reed.
The pre-Department material in the series is heavily aviation-oriented, with scattered entries on aspects of highway history. Assorted photo jobs from the Federal Aviation Administration's predecessor, the Federal Aviation Agency (and its pre-1958 predecessor, the Civil Aeronautics Administration) document aircraft types and components, activities at flight instruction and air traffic control training centers, facilities and operations at Washington National Airport, New York City's LaGuardia Airport, and other key installations, and high-profile events including President Harry Truman's signing of the foundational legislation for federal funding of airport development, the Federal Airport Act of 1946. In particular focus is the development of Virginia's Dulles International Airport, from ground-breaking (1958) through construction stages to dedication ceremonies (1962) and beyond, with detailed coverage of the newly-completed structures and the systems, staffing, functions therein. Federal Aviation Agency heads Elwood Quesada, Najeeb Halaby, and William McKee are among the pre-DOT officials shown in portrait and activity contexts.
For the dominant, Department era photographic coverage in this series, the principal contributors were full-time headquarters staff photographers. Key figures in the first few years of Department photography included Manuel Costa, Stephen Vento, J.R. Lind, C.H. Ritter, R.D. Mowrey, Clinton Knapp, Harry Neufeld, James Bueauchamp, Robert Johnston, and Ralph Thompson. During the 1970's, Costa (as photo unit head), Vento, Beauchamp, Knapp, and Johnston continued to play important roles, with Joseph Wenzel (who would succeed Costa in 1982), Jay Carroll, Bruce Beuzard, Lance Strozier, Dennis Hughes, and Robert Laughlin becoming increasingly prominent. Carroll, who assumed leadership in 1984, combined with Strozier, Hughes, and Laughlin to form a veteran core that would anchor DOT photography through the mid-1990's. During the final years of the 1990's, and into the new century, much of the photographic work shifted to Joseph Kohler, Ben Mitchell, and Rick Vargas, with Elizabeth Roll, Carol Clayton, and Howard Lansat also making significant contributions.
