Ethel Pattison

About this Talk – A Gem at LAX

Ethel Pattison tells the amazing story of LAX and the process by which the LAX Flight Museum was created.

About Ethel Pattison

Ethel L. Pattison is Airport Information Specialist for Los Angeles World Airports, the City department which operates Los Angeles International Airport. She is a 54-year veteran of the department, working in the public and community relations divisions.

Ethel served for many years as Chief Airport Guide in charge of LAX tours and special events. She was involved in directing student tours, preparing informational materials, responding to media inquiries and assisting the media and public during airport emergencies. Her duties also included assisting civic, business and airport officials in overseas promotions of Los Angeles as a trade and tourism destination.

Ethel currently is Historian and Vice President of the nonprofit Flight Path Learning Center and Museum, which was established in 2003 in the LAX Imperial Terminal to preserve Southern California‘s aviation heritage and encourage youth to pursue aviation and aerospace education and careers. She directs cataloging and research in the museum’s archives, including historical documents, photographs, uniforms and other memorabilia, dating from 1928 to the present. She also oversees Flight Path‘s William A. Schoneberger Research Library.

She co-chairs Flight Path’s annual Gala, a major fundraising event, and has been involved in preparation of numerous video productions chronicling airport and aviation history. Ethel is co-author of a new historical reference book, Los Angeles International Airport, part of the Images of Aviation series from Arcadia Publishing Co.

In recognition of Ethel’s significant contributions to LAX and aviation, the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has named the rose garden adjacent to the airport’s Clifton A. Moore Administration Building in her honor. She was awarded the prestigious Los Angeles City Career Service Award in 1991.

Born in Los Angeles, Ethel grew up in Hollywood and was graduated from John Marshall High School. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California, majoring in advertising and minoring in cinema. Following graduation she was employed as advertising manager for Hollyvogue Hosiery and then as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

A resident of Manhattan Beach, Ethel was married for 53 years to the late Dr. Sydney Pattison, a South Bay dentist. They have a daughter, LeValley, who teaches at El Camino College, and a grandson, Logan.

Ethel is past national president of the United Airlines Clipped Wings, an organization of former stewardesses and flight attendants, and was honored with distinguished service awards from the national organization and its Los Angeles chapter. She has been active with the International Special Olympics, the South Bay Vocational Center for the physically challenged, and USC alumni activities. She was awarded a Youth Service Award by the Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department.