An Oral History of Perrin Field
presented by the Austin College Archives

 

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AC/Air Defense
Perrin Opens
Base Layout
Perrin Aircraft
Base Life
Perrin and the Community
Final Reflection
 
Austin College
Perrin Field, later Perrin Air Force Base, grew out of President Franklin Roosevelt's national defense preparedness program. It brought many changes to Grayson County and Austin College. Beginning with the Civilian Aeronautics Authority ground school training program for civilian pilots in 1939, cooperation between Austin College and the base marked the entire thirty years of its existence and left a lasting legacy to the alumni, the community, and future students. During JanTerm 2001, a group of Austin College students interviewed Perrin Field veterans for their recollections of the base, an oral history project that is ongoing through the College Archives. Those interviews form the basis of this exhibit as veterans describe Perrin the way they remember it.

images provided courtesy of
Perrin Air Force Base Research Foundation

Austin College and Air Defense