Hey, everyone! Here is the second in our series of blogs about women pilots in Alaskan aviation history!

 Virginia Merrill Clayton completed her first solo flight, in a Piper J-3, on December 7, 1941, the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed. Her plane should have been on the ground, but the news came through while she was flying. She officially got her license in Idaho on December 15, 1941. She had planned on joining the Civilian Pilot Training Program, but while she was in college, they began to bar women from joining. In 1942, she became the only female flight instructor for the Whitman college naval cadet flight program. During this time, Merrill planned to join the WASPs, but before that could happen she was offered a job as a flight instructor at the Top of the World Flying School in Fairbanks! While there she met and instructed her future husband, George Clayton. Once married, Virginia gave up her flying career to stay home with her children.

1. How long have you lived in Alaska?
I was born here in Fairbanks in 1942 which makes for 72 plus years.  I have never lived anywhere else but for a short move or two with my folks in Seattle when I was a small kid.  When we went down to the states in those days we landed at the old Boeing field airport on DC -4's and had to clear customs and immigration as we were citizens maybe.

2. What is your background?
When I was a kid I used to hang over the fence at Weeks field (just five short blocks from the house) where we watched the airplanes come and go by what is now the bowling alley that used to be the old Pan American Airways hangar (Pacific Alaska Airways).  I started working on airplanes when I was 14 years old for Bill Laws, Chuck LaFon.  I actually worked on Sam Whites old L-5 at that time.  He was pretty proud of it!  One thing led to another and I soon started flying.  It all occurred on the west side of International about where Books Fuel was located.  I went to work for Pan American in 1962 and moonlighted at the old N>C> Fuel company during the day as I worked just about all  night shifts for Pan Am.

3. How did you get involved at the Pioneer Air Museum?
My involvement with the museum occurred because of the friendship of both Corky and Randy.  I was not very active in the museum early one but that changed in about 2005 when it became apparent that Randy was having health problems and help was needed.  I stepped in in 2009 when Corky passed away.  I don't recall raising my hand or opening my mouth but here I am.

4. What do you do, as Curator at the museum?
The Curators job is an interesting one and  I am not sure that I totally understand all that it encompasses yet.  I do most of the paperwork, oversee the day to day operations, order things for sale and try and point just about everyone in the same direction.  Just cleaning up the past inventory that was not always documented well. The work needs to be done so that we can be accredited to have better access to other sources of funds and help.  We are making progress to that end.  It is a slow process but when its over we will have an excellent record of what's in the museum and hopefully who donated it.  Starting out at the Museum I spent over 3 months just going through file cabinets from Randy’s house that included papers for the Museum and a large amount of his own business paperwork all mixed together.

5. What is your favorite object in the museum?
My favorite object at the Museum is the inventory that is there.  There is a tremendous amount of history in the "Gold Dome".  After 5 years of working there and working with so much of it that it is hard to place a high value on any one or two items.  They all have a story to tell.  Shoes, airplanes, Lend Lease just to name a few.  I am fortunate to have met in my younger years a few of the folks that are mentioned as Pioneers of the Air.  When I worked for Pan Am some of the old pilots were flying the Boeing 707's.  They started in Alaska!

6. What is your favorite part about Alaska?
Alaska has a very interesting history in aviation.  After flying commercially for 51 years and about 17,000 hours with all but around 200 hours in Alaska I still have not seen it all.  Every area of this "Great Land" has its own beauty and interest.  To have flown without all the aids that we have today gives one a great feeling for what the earlier true Pioneers had to overcome.  We are fortunate to work with todays modern aids!

7. What would you tell someone who is interested in museum work?
To someone who wants to get involved in museums, volunteer and find your passion!

1. What is your background?
I'm from a suburb of Columbus, Ohio, and I have a B.A. in History from Ohio University (OU). I am a second year student in the Museum Studies M.A. program at George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C., focusing on Collections Management and Women's History.

2. What got you interested in museum work?
I had always considered working in a museum after graduation because I knew that I did not want to use my history degree to become a teacher. During my undergraduate career I knew quite a few people who had interned at the local historical society (Athens County Historical Society and Museum), and they had all loved it. I gave it a try one quarter, and I fell in love. One day while I was cataloging our extensive textile collection, I just realized that I wanted to work with museum collections as a real career!

3. What brought you to the Pioneer Air Museum?
I got an email one day through the listserv at GWU with a flyer about internships with Alaska State Museums. I had never been to Alaska, but I had heard nothing but good things about it. I applied thinking I wouldn't get the job because internships that provide stipends and housing are very competitive. We have to complete two internships as a graduation requirement, so why not spend the summer in a beautiful place that I had never been before? I was ecstatic when I found out that I had been picked, and they sent me to PAM!

4. What is your favorite thing about Alaska?
My favorite thing about Alaska so far has been the opportunity to do so many new things that I've always wanted to try! I had never really been hiking or camping before I got here. Now I've done some fun hikes, camped a few times, and even been kayaking in Seward!

5. What's your most memorable aeronautical experience?
My most memorable experience is probably when I went on a study abroad trip to Berlin last year. Our flight out of Newark, NJ was rain-delayed, making us nearly miss our connecting flight in Munich. We literally had to run across the airport to board the plane in time!

6. What project are you working on?
I have so many! I'm cataloging PAM's collections as well as revising its Collections Management Policy, creating forms, grant writing, re-housing objects throughout the Museum, and possibly writing a few blog posts for the website.

7. What is the most interesting thing you’ve found in the museum?
So far I would have to say that the most interesting thing that I've found in the Museum would be Audree Knutzen's flight record books. I haven't come across stories about many female Alaskan aviators, so it's really cool to have her flight records and see where she flew to!

8. What are your plans for the summer in Alaska?
I plan on doing as much as I can while I'm here! I plan on going to Anchorage and Seward, hiking and camping, floating the Chena, going to Denali, going to the Chena Hot Springs and Ice Museum. It's going to be a busy summer!

9. What advice would you give someone looking to work in museums?
Just get out there and give it a shot! Work hard to build up your skills and don't be afraid of trying something new and get dirty. Learn about as many facets of museum work as you can so that you can figure out where your passions lie.