Filomena R. Manor, USAF Retired, Papers

Collection

Identifier: MS-0157

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Colonel Filomena R. Manor, USAF Retired, Papers consist of nine boxes. The collection’s content focuses in part on the evolution of the United States Air Force (USAF), Biomedical and Dietary Science Corp food and diet programs developed from 1947 through 1983, and the related activities of Filomena Manor, who as an active-duty air force officer from 1950 until 1983, played a chief role in USAF dietetics. Manor, who retired from the USAF in 1983, began her military career in 1950. The USAF Biomedical and Dietetics Files from 1947 through 1983 reflect the development of the USAF food programs, while the Filomena Manor Files address the individual military career of Filomena Manor and her contributions to the USAF dietetics programs. While the collection contains general documents of the Biomedical Sciences Corps, two programs, the Cooked Therapeutic In-Flight Meals (CTIM) program implemented in 1968, and the establishment of the USAF Dietetic Internship program beginning in 1972, were ones with which Colonel Manor was involved.

Subsequent to the establishment of the USAF in 1947, its Medical Service came into being in 1949. In this service dietitians were commissioned in the Women’s Medical Specialist Corps (WMSC) which in 1955 became the Medical Specialist Corps (MSpC) when males entered. In 1965, it was incorporated in the newly established Biomedical Sciences Corps (BSC) which addressed the specific nutritional needs of air force diets and meal planning. The Biomedical and Dietetics Corp Series consists of records, documents, correspondence, orders, reports, photos, and manuals that document the history of the USAF food programs. A result of the USAF Biomedical and Dietetics food programs was the formulation and publication of military-designed diet plans. The series also includes an extensive number of individual recipes formalized by the USAF during the development of its meal plans, materials documenting the Cooked Therapeutic In-Flight meal program CTIM, introduced in 1968, along with the USAF Dietetic Internship, created in 1972. In addition Colonel Manor acquired a number of magazines and articles, grouped in the Biomedical and Dietetics files as Publications. These items are relevant to dietary studies, and are from different agencies, such as government, military and private groups.

Colonel Manor generated her own internal history separate, but related to the evolution of the USAF food, education, and internship programs. The Filomena Manor Papers series allows for a more detailed picture of her military career from 1950 to 1983, and her post-military activities after her 1983 retirement through 2002. The collection begins with some Personal Artifacts from Manor’s pre-military life, but the bulk of the Filomena Manor Papers deal with her military career. These items consist of military records, orders, correspondence, awards, trip reports, scripts and photographs from 1930 through 1983. There are also records documenting her retirement, her work on USAF dietetics history, and her continued association with specific military organizations. Books in the collection mention Colonel Manor’s life accomplishments and personal history.

The collection also documents one of Colonel Manor’s most active post-military projects including her work in the research, documentation and eventual 2001 publication of 50 Years of Air Force Dietetics 1949 – 1999 by the Retired Air Force Dietitians Association (RAFDA). As an active member of RAFDA Colonel Manor created numerous notes and research papers during her work on the project. Resulting in both the book history and a videotape, Celebrating 50 Years of Air Force Dietetics, these two projects appear to have been much of the focus of Colonel Manor’s post-retirement.

Dates

Creation: 1930-2003

Creator

Manor, Filomena R. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright interests in some or all of these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creator(s) of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of archival collections is such that multiple creators are often applicable and copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. In any case, the user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, obtaining publication rights and copyright infringement. When requesting images from Special Collections & University Archives for publication, we require a signed agreement waiving San Diego State University of any liability in the event of a copyright violation.

Biographical Note

Filomena Manor was born Filomena R. Fusco, in Troy, New York, on July 6, 1926. She graduated from Lansingburg High School in 1944 and delivered the salutatorian address "Women in the Post-War World" to her classmates. Awarded a scholarship with full tuition to Russell Sage College, she received a B.S. in foods and nutrition in 1948, before moving on to Peter Bent Brigham Hospital and Simmons College in Boston for a dietetic internship. In 1960, while serving as an officer in the United States Air Force (USAF), she obtained her M.S. from the Ohio State University. Her master’s thesis became the basis for the Air Force’s diet supervisor job training standard and course at the Air University located at Maxwell Air Force Base.

On January 17, 1950, Filomena Fusco became the first woman commissioned directly into the newly created Air Force Women’s Medical Specialist Corps as a Second Lieutenant. She married Melvin Manor, of Oak Park, Illinois, in the chapel at Hamilton Air Force Base on September 3, 1955. The couple resided in San Rafael, California. As the first dietitian sworn in directly from civilian life, she rose in the ranks of the USAF to Lieutenant Colonel in 1967. In 1971, she was promoted to full Colonel, the grade at which she retired in 1983. In November 1962, Manor became not only the first female recipient of the McLester Award for dietetics but also the first U.S. dietitian to be presented with the honor.

During the Korean conflict, from 1951 through 1953, she served as the Food Service Officer and Dietitian at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. Moving to Hamilton Air Force Base in California, where she remained until 1957, Manor was the Consultant Dietitian for Air Defense Command. While later assigned to March Air Force Base from 1960 until 1963, she was the Fifteenth Air Force Consultant Dietitian and Preceptor of the Dietetic Residency program. She then went to Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, before moving on to Scott Air Force Base in 1965.

At Scott Air Force Base as the Assistant for Dietetic Services, she was instrumental in the creation of the Cooked Therapeutic Inflight Meals System (CTIM), initiated in October of 1968 for use in aeromedical evacuations during the Vietnam era. She was transferred to Andrews Air Force Base in 1970. In 1972 her work at the on-base Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center led to the establishment of the Air Force Dietetic Internship, a program for which she served as director for twelve classes. Between 1972 and 1982, Manor served as the Associate Chief for Dietetics and Nutrition with the Biomedical Sciences Corps, and published numerous manuals and pamphlets on dietetics and food preparation.

Manor retired on October 31, 1983 after 33 years, 7 months, and 18 days of service in the United States Air Force. Currently a resident of Coronado, California, Manor continues to be involved in military associations and organizations. In her post-military career, Manor has been a member of the Military Order of the World Wars and serves as an officer in the San Diego Chapter of the Retired Officers Association. She became a founder of the Retired Air Force Dietitian’s Association (RAFDA), of which she also serves as a chief officer. She conducted considerable research for the 2001 publication, 50 Years of Air Force Dietetics 1949 – 1999 by the RAFDA.

Extent

11.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection consists of three series. The first is the USAF Biomedical and Dietetics Files, the second is the Filomena Manor Files, and the third is Books. Each of the first two series are arranged in chronological order. The Books series contains annuals and biographical directories related to the public accomplishments and life of Manor. Although the papers were donated by Manor, the series arrangement places the USAF papers first, since Colonel Manor operated within the greater USAF. Series I consists of materials of the USAF Biomedical Sciences Corps and Dietetics Section. It contains seven subseries that begins with the general Biomedical files which includes folders and military documents sorted in chronological order. Biomedical Jobs, follows and includes dietitian job descriptions, dietary responsibilities, and educational course and lessons plans. USAF-created diet plans and manuals follow, along with an extensive number of individual recipes. Two specific programs, which Colonel Manor took an active role in developing, the CTIM meal program and USAF Internship program for dietetics, are also documented by records in this series. The last subseries contains publications and consists of articles and magazines acquired by Colonel Manor. Series II consists of papers directly related to Filomena Manor’s life as an active USAF officer, and her post-military activities. The few items concerning Colonel Manor’s pre-military career, Personal artifacts, is the first of eight subseries. The majority of the papers address the period 1950 though 1983, and Manor’s involvement with the USAF dietetics. Colonel Manor’s Records consist of her personnel file, correspondence, orders, and awards. Trip reports document hospital studies in which Colonel Manor participated. Scripts, written by Manor as event guides, laid out in conjunction with any visual aids, are arranged in their own subseries, while the final one contains photographs of Manor and others. Her post-military career is documented by materials in three subseries entitled, Materials, Activities, and History. Records relating to the publication of 50 Years of Air Force Dietetics 1949 – 1999 can be found in the History files. Series III consists of additional books in such as annuals and biographical directories in which Manor is mentioned, along with one flat box of miscellaneous items. Three items of note in Manor papers are the two “journals” in the Post military Materials, and the Norton Air Force Base “notebook”. Each of these items was arranged by Manor and their order has been left intact. The journals were created by Manor in remembrance of her retirement, and her contributions to the USAF Dietetic Internship Program. The copied pages indicating the original journal layout are in the folder unit preceding the journal reconstructions. The reconstructed pages seek to mimic Manor’s original arrangement as to page layout. The Norton notebook has also been left untouched and put in a folder in its original condition as obtained from the donor.