- AFHF Member Authors, USAF Academy Department of History
Hubert R. Harmon: Airman, Officer, Father of the Air Force Academy
by Phillip Meilinger
A semi-mythic figure to Air Force Academy cadets, Hubert R. Harmon came out of retirement in 1953 to take on the challenge of building the Air Force Academy from the ground up. A West Point graduate from the illustrious class of 1915 called the class that the stars fell on for the number of men who rose to general officer from its ranks Harmon was known for his honesty, candor, and integrity. These attributes served him well as he worked with military men of all ranks as well as civilians to create one of the most honored military institutions in the world. Embracing details large and small, from designing a campus to choosing new uniforms, Harmon turned out to be the ideal man for the job, and because of this is remembered as the Father of the Air Force Academy.