Dale Dwight Spath Manuscripts

Collection

Identifier: Mss 317

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Dale Dwight Spath papers consist entirely of unpublished manuscripts of fictional works. Although they are on various subjects, they all involve aviation and pilots, particularly operators of small aircraft. There are two novels, one short story, and a poem. The collection is organized into a single manuscripts series. The Gypsy Barons includes the complete manuscript of the novel by that name, along with an excerpt from an earlier draft. The Black Helmet consists of the complete manuscript of the novel by that name, along with a handful of single-page rewrites and revisions. The “Crosswind” includes a copy of the two-page poem. “The Wind Warriors” consists of a short story by that name.

Dates

1961-1980

Creator

Spath, Dale Dwight, 1943-1988. (Person)

Access

The collection is open under the rules and regulations of the Institute.

Copyrights

The Institute owns the copyrights.

Biography

Dale Dwight Spath was born on July 14, 1943 in Sheldon, N.D., where he grew up and attended school. He also attended school in Fargo. In 1960, he entered the U.S. Navy, and in 1964 he joined the Marines. In 1973 he served in the U.S. Army Reserve. He was a security guard at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Fargo, before becoming chief of police in Riverside, N.D. In addition to his other forms of employment, he was an airplane enthusiast and owned his own business, Spath Aircraft. He specialized in classic, used, and experimental aircrafts. He married Marlene Rustad Lee in 1977, and died in 1988.