CONTACT: Bruce A. Bleakley
 Museum Director
(214) 350-4215
bleakley@flightmuseum.com

FRONTIERS OF FLIGHT MUSEUM PRESENTS
“TRYING TO SAVE BRANIFF: A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN”
The airline’s top three executives relate the inside story of
their efforts to save the company

Behind the story of Braniff International and the nation’s first major airline
bankruptcy is a tale of feverish efforts by the company’s top three executives to save it from
failure in the spring of 1982. These same three industry leaders will recall the airline’s final
days and weeks in a special presentation at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at 10:30 a.m. on
Saturday, May 1:
Howard Putnam, former President and CEO of Southwest Airlines, was specifically
recruited from Southwest by Braniff Board Chairman John J. Casey in late 1981 to save the
ailing airline.
Sam Coats, a former state legislator and previous Texas International Airlines
executive, was recruited as Executive Vice President, also by Casey, for the same purpose.
Philip Guthrie, another Southwest veteran who came on board with Putnam as Chief
Financial Officer, was keenly aware of Braniff’s impending financial crisis.
The program will be moderated by KRLD business analyst David Johnson, a local
and national media fixture since 1975. In early 1982, Johnson was co-producer of a
documentary for Eric Sevareid’s PBS show “Enterprise,” intended to record the behind-thescenes
story of Braniff’s anticipated dramatic turnaround. Instead, the production became the
airline’s eulogy as Braniff filed for bankruptcy at midnight, May 12-13, 1982. The program
will begin with a screening of the short documentary followed by a dialogue with the three
executives and a question-and answer period.
Admission for this program is $10 for Frontiers of Flight Museum members and $15
for non-members, which includes admission to the museum exhibit areas. Doors open at
10:00 a.m.
The Frontiers of Flight Museum is located at 6911 Lemmon Avenue (at University) in
Dallas, at the southeast corner of Dallas Love Field Airport. Over 25 aircraft and space
vehicles are on display, including the Command Module from the Apollo 7 space mission, as
well as thousands of rare aviation artifacts, photos and memorabilia. Hours of operation are
10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more
information, call (214) 350-1651 or visit www.flightmuseum.com.