The Cecil Peterson collection on the Tuskegee Airmen is contained within the Tuskegee Airmen Archive. This archive consists of material related to those individuals who served at Tuskegee Army Air Field, and its predecessors, as well as material pertaining to Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., a non-profit organization.



This collection consists largely of research material collected by Cecil Peterson on the Tuskegee Airmen and the units with which they were affiliated. Material relating to Peterson's personal life is present, and to a lesser extent there is material regarding African Americans and Military History. Peterson compiled an extensive collection of material on the Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American pilots in the United States Army Air Corps. Information on personnel and military units associated with the training at Tuskegee Army Air Field and its predecessor training sites, race relations within the military, the Freeman Field Mutiny, the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and Peterson's personal and professional life are also included.

Cecil Peterson was orphaned at an early age and spent much of his boyhood in foster homes and institutions. His military experience included time as an enlisted man at Tuskegee Army Flying School in 1942 and 1943. He was in training and a part of base personnel before being shipped out for service on Guadalcanal. He re-entered the Army after World War II, was commissioned a Lieutenant and served in Korea.

40.77 linear feet (47 boxes)

Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.

This collection is open for research.