New Jacqueline Cochran Exhibit
Our new Jacqueline Cochran exhibit reveals her (see bio) connections with the movers and shakers of the 40′s, 50′s and 60′s. Her marriage to Floyd Odlum, a lawyer and industrialist who also held a major stake in RKO Films, set her in a circle of friends that included Walt Disney, Bob Hope, the Rat Pack, and Clark Gable, as well as Chuck Yeager and Amelia Earhart. Jackie and Floyd entertained Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy at their ranch.
Exhibit donor Geneva Gordon-Derr and Jacqueline Cochran became friends in the Hollywood social scene. Geneva’s husband, the mayor of Riverside, served as the Director of Parks and Recreation with Disneyland within his realm of authority. Geneva stood in for Jackie at events on occasion, even wearing her medals when representing her. Geneva sang on some of Bob Hope’s USO tours, too. Jacqueline Cochran’s interest in beauty products through her cosmetic line and the fact that Geneva Gordon-Derr was a beautiful model also brought them together.
The National WASP World War II Museum greatly appreciates this gift by Geneva Gordon-Derr and James Adams.
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