Edith Gentile, circa 1945
Special Collections announces the opening of the Edith Gentile Collection. One of the first female stainless steel welders to work for Republic Aviation Corporation in Farmingdale, New York, Ida Gentile (known as Edith) was born in 1924 to Italian immigrant parents and was a lifelong resident of Long Island. A respected welder, she worked on Republic P-47 Thunderbolt airplanes in the 1940s in support of the war effort and was awarded the Army-Navy Production emblem, “a much sought after award for excellence in stainless steel welding.”
The Edith Gentile Collection is comprised of World War II era papers and artifacts about the production of the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt airplane and document Edith’s contributions to the manufacturing of them. The collection was generously donated by her nephew, Richard Gentile, a graduate of Stony Brook University (class of 1965).
Learn more about the University Libraries’ distinctive Special Collections and University Archives by visiting the website for the department.
Kristen Nyitray
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