The Quonset Point Naval Air Station collection details the rich history of the naval air base from its inception as training and shipping facility during World War II, to its post-war role as a major site for overhauling and repairing aircraft, harboring anti-submarine aircrafts, and becoming the off-season home for the Navy's Antarctic Development Squadron Six. These duties, in addition to many other responsibilities, were imperative for the success of United States naval and air operations. Furthermore, the Quonset Point Naval Air Station served as a stimulus for Rhode Island's employment, internal development, and overall economy.
Quonset Point, seeped in naval history dating back to the American Revolution, became the primary choice for an East Coast naval base in 1938. The United States Congress had commissioned the Naval Board, under Rear Admiral Hepburn, to scout out an area for a new air and naval station on June 7, 1938. The geographic protection afforded by Narragansett Bay, coupled with accessibility to the Atlantic Ocean, made Quonset Point an attractive option. On July 16, 1940, Congress approved $24,204,000 for the construction of the base. After necessary changes were made to the landscape, the construction was finished two years ahead of schedule in 1941.
Under the Lend-Lease Act, the base was formally commissioned as a United States naval and air station on July 12, 1941. The base, which included the Naval Construction Training Center at the Davisville Construction Battalion Center, consisted of one-thousand, seven-hundred and forty-eight acres, making it the largest naval station in Rhode Island.
During World War II, Quonset Point Naval Air Station trained and shipped countless land-based and carrier-based anti-submarine squadrons, playing a crucial role in fighting U-boats. The base was also home to aviation squadrons, such as the land-based patrol squadron P-2 Neptune and carrier-based antisubmarine and airborne early warning squadrons the S-2 Tracker, E-1 Tracer, and A-1 Skyraider. The deep water ports at the station also docked several ESSEX class air craft carriers.
In addition, Quonset Point was at the forefront of airborne radar and electronic system research and development. Due to the advancements made at Quonset Point, British and Canadian naval air pilots were trained at the facility, and even President Richard M. Nixon underwent basic training here in 1942. The base also became famous for the invention and production of the Quonset hut, a lightweight and inexpensive standardized steel building, which militaries around the world used for barracks, hospitals, kitchens, warehouses and latrines.
After the war, Quonset Point Naval Air Station pushed forward in its anti-submarine work against the Soviets in the North Atlantic. The Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF) was also established and served as a major overhaul and repair center for aircraft. Additionally, from 1956 until 1973, Quonset Point acted as the base for VX and VXE-6 squadrons, which was part of the Navy's Operation Deep Freeze, an international scientific exploration of Antarctica. Throughout the 1960s, both Quonset Point and Davisville housed over a hundred capital ships and helicopters, making the base an indispensable asset to naval operations.
Quonset Point Naval Station also contributed greatly to the advancement of Rhode Island. In 1944, the base reached a peak military and civilian employment of one-hundred and sixty-two thousand. Although this number was reduced after the war, Quonset Point and the Davisville Construction Battalion Center continued to provide numerous jobs for Rhode Island citizens. This greatly helped the local economy by elevating employment and earning the area federal aid for internal improvements, particularly in the field of education. Also, military and civilian personnel were active participants on and off the base, maintaining a visible presence in Rhode Island.
After thirty-years of service to the United States Navy, Quonset Point Naval Air Station finally closed in 1973. Due to military budget cuts and a general trend to close bases at the end of the Vietnam War, President Nixon officially ordered the station to decommission on June 28, 1974. Today, a small military presence remains with the Quonset Point National Guard Station. The Quonset State Airport, a public general aviation airport, also continues to serve as a base for Air and Army National Guard flying activities. The area now primarily encompasses Quonset Business Park, an important hub for commerce and industry within the north-east region.
Collection is open for research by appointment. Materials do not circulate. Some materials may be restricted, for further information contact the Archives and Special Collections, Phillips Memorial Library, Providence College.
Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Phillips Memorial Library. Although Providence College has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Quonset Point Naval Air Station collection, Providence College, Phillips Memorial Library, Archives and Special Collections.
This collection contains subject files, memorandums, photographs, news clippings, scrapbooks, copies of The Quonset Scout, naval and air logs, directories, biographical information on the station's commanding officers, and records of the base's daily operations.
These materials reveal the importance of the United States Navy in Rhode Island, the physical evolution of the property and its affect on the area, the contribution of the base to the local economy, and the participation of the civilian and military personnel in activities both on and off the base. In addition, the collection provides valuable information regarding training facilities, aircraft and squadrons, and coastal defenses both during and after World War II.
This collection is arranged into seven series.
In 1974, Kenneth Shey, a liaison between the Department of State and the Department of the Navy, and Edward S. Klapka, the last commanding officer of the Quonset Point base, arranged to have the collection donated to Providence College. Additional materials were bequeathed by Frederick A. Gilchrist in 1984 and by Everett Holman in 1985.
This series contains subject files which outline the wide variety of tasks and functions of the Quonset Point Naval Air Station. There are numerous materials that pertain to the aircraft stationed at Quonset Point during and after World War II, specifically the anti-submarine aircrafts and the Antarctica Development Squadron Six.
In addition, the series includes a wealth of information on the daily responsibilities of the military personnel, the maintenance of the naval base, the utility of the overhaul and repair center, and the role played by civilians in the operation of Quonset Point. Furthermore, the series sheds light on the station’s political, economic, social, and ecological activities in Rhode Island.
This series contains biographical information on the commanding officers stationed at Quonset Point Naval Air Station. Their naval experiences, personal histories, and contributions to Quonset Point, are documented by a number of biographical sources.
In addition, the series contains biographical material on notable civilians who worked closely with the base, such as President Richard M. Nixon, Secretary of State Dean Rusk, and Rhode Island senators John H. Chaffee and Claiborne Pell. The officers and civilians worked in close conjuncture to facilitate the station's daily operations and to foster relations with the greater Rhode Island community.
The press releases in this series detail the daily activities and functions which took place at the Quonset Point Naval Air Station from its inception in 1940 until its final year of operation in 1973. The announcements pertain primarily to the undertakings of the fleets and aircraft, developments made to the station's facilities, and the lives of the naval personnel.
The news clippings focus on the decommissioning of Quonset Point as a Naval Air base in 1974 and the immediate impact this change had on the Rhode Island economy. With the loss of the station came a sharp decline in local revenue, a decrease in federal and state funding for education, and a significant rise in unemployment. These clippings express Rhode Islanders' concerns that the local area would suffer indefinitely without the jobs and opportunities afforded by Quonset Point. The articles also follow the debate concerning what should be done with the former base's land and resources.
This series contains several scrapbooks that were created and maintained during Quonset Point Naval Air Station's years of operation. The scrapbooks include photographs of the base in 1939 when it was first purchased by the United States Navy, and documents its construction and expansion until 1974.
Also of interest are the news clippings, which detail the development of Quonset Point, the daily activities and special events which occurred on the base, the employment of civilians, and information regarding the Navy's personnel, ships, and operations. These scrapbooks record the history of Quonset Point and lend insight into the importance of the base at the local, state, and national level.
Within this series, there are scrapbooks which were created by the Supply Department. The Supply Department was in charge of warehousing, distributing materials, providing dining facilities, and storing the station's computer system. In addition, the department organized charity functions, ceremonial events, entertainment for the naval personnel and their families, and holiday celebrations. These functions and activities are documented in these scrapbooks.
This series contains materials related to the Quonset Point Naval Air Rework Facility (NARF), which was one of the country's largest aircraft overhaul and repair centers. The facility was used primarily for repair, engineering, and fleet training. The items in this series detail the functions of this department, including its budgetary responsibilities, its official orders, and the duties of its employees.
The published works and complete set of The Quonset Scout newspapers that are found in this series, detail the history of Quonset Point Naval Air Station. The Quonset Scout subseries also contain the entire collection of the periodical, The Yardarm, also known as the Davisville Yardarm. Full sets of both the Quonset Scout and The Yardarm are available in microfilm.
The series is divided into two subseries: Publications and The Quonset Scout. Each subseries is arranged chronologically.
There are a number of guides and directories dating from 1961 until 1973 which provide information about the various departments and facilities at the station as well as listings for services and businesses that naval personnel could access off the base. Further insight into the lives of the station's officers and enlisted persons is given by the Commanding Officers' Suggestion Log, which documents complaints and commendations about the living and dining conditions at the messes. In addition, the work War and Peace: 1940-1947, describes the role of the George A. Fuller Company in building Quonset Point and other naval bases around the world before, during, and after World War II.
The Quonset Scout, published from 1940 until 1973, was the station's private newspaper. In its early years, the newspaper focused mainly on the undertakings of Quonset Point and the activities of its staff and their families. Later, the periodical broadened its scope and reported on state and national news, with a particular emphasis on events that related to the United States Navy. However, the paper predominantly recounted news that was specific to Quonset Point Naval Air Station. Starting in April of 1973, the Davisville Construction Battalion Center began printing its own weekly newspaper, the Davisville Yardarm, or The Yardarm. This subseries contains both publications in their printed and microfilm formats.
This series contains the logbooks which recorded both the routine procedures and the emergencies that occurred at several of the Quonset Point facilities. The Crash and Rescue Station logbooks chronicle the daily happenings at the Naval Air Station runway from 1943 until 1974. Standard events were documented in black ink while urgent situations were noted in red ink so that these reports could be readily differentiated. In addition, there are logs from the Watch Stations, the Alarm and Emergency Stations, the Fire and Emergency Stations, the Public Works Department, and the Quonset Point base store.