This is an edited transcript of an oral history interview of Joseph Szep conducted by Peter J. Westwick. Article written by Joseph Szep and refered to during the interview has been attached at the end of the transcript. This interview covers Joseph Szep's career up to the mid-1950s. Among other topics, the interview discusses the relation between design and manufacturing, the impact of classification and secrecy, and the organization of the Skunk Works. Joseph Szep was an engineer at Lockheed starting in the 1930s and was one of the original engineers in Lockheed’s Skunk Works. He was born in January 15, 1916, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He graduated high school in 1934 and then attended Parks Air College, in Cahokia, Illinois, graduating in 1936 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. In June 1936 he was hired by Lockheed in Burbank. He worked first on the Lockheed Model 12, the Electra Junior. Starting in 1937 he worked on the P-38, and then in 1939 on the XP-58. He then worked on the Constellation and, in 1943, on the P-80 jet fighter. For the latter, he was part of the original group of engineers under Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, what became known as the “Skunk Works.” Toward the end of war he worked on the XF-90, then left the Skunk Works to work again on the Constellation and then the X-7 ramjet testbed. [Object file name], Aerospace Oral History Project, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
