space will be used to promote aviation education and to
host events that promote the spirit and camaraderie of
AirVenture Oshkosh.
Amy Gesch
The upper level illustrates EAA’s legacy with displays
highlighting the organization’s chapters, homebuilders,
innovation, and spirit of entrepreneurship. The mezzanine
area also features artifacts such as commemorative EAA
ornaments sold to fund the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh
and models of unique aircraft that have visited the fly-in
convention, such as the Concorde. Also on display is the
typewriter and table used to type out EAA’s first newsletter,
The Experimenter, with Volume 1, Issue 1 in the carriage.
“The legacy wall will tell our story to
the aviation community and to future
EAA’s founders, Paul and Audrey Poberezny, cut a ribbon officially
opening the mezzanine level of the Founders’ Wing during EAA
AirVenture 2009.
aviation enthusiasts, and the founders’
library will preserve the culture that we
hope will continue for decades to come
within this organization,” said Tom.
Dan Luft
Beyond that is the Paul and Audrey Poberezny
Library, home to a re-creation of EAA’s first office in the
Pobereznys’ basement, a library and discussion area, and
an archival area. “The legacy wall will tell our story to the
aviation community and to future aviation enthusiasts,
and the founders’ library will preserve the culture that
we hope will continue for decades to come within this
organization,” said Tom.
Several of the organization’s charter members were in
attendance for the dedication, as well as many donors
including EAA board member Fred Telling, Craig and
Connie Willan, and Russ MacFarlane who were recognized
during the dedication ceremony. John Dunham, who first
wrote Tom Poberezny about creating a Founders’ Wing,
was also in attendance.
Amy Gesch
“The perseverance that Paul and Audrey had to create
this organization is unbelievable,” Dunham said. “It is
really wonderful to see the recognition and the history of
it preserved. This is an organization that’s about people
and culture and values and airplanes, and they managed to
glue all of that together. Paul and Audrey had a wonderful
collection that would tell the story, so the idea was to get
this out in front of everyone so we could all enjoy the
benefit of it.”
Paul and Audrey thanked the group gathered for
being part of the EAA family. “I didn’t realize then that
all the stuff we saved and collected would mean so
much,” Paul said.
The Paul and Audrey Library, located in the Founders’ Wing, features
a re-creation of EAA’s first office in the Pobereznys’ basement in
Hales Corners, Wisconsin.
Kelly Nelson is the associate editor for EAA’s publications.
Visitors to the EAA AirVenture Museum can learn about the
organization’s history and lasting impact on aviation from the Legacy
Wall on the mezzanine level of the Founders’ Wing.
