I am writing not as Mr. Clow’s attorney, but as a friend and admirer of Mr. Oliver Boyd Clow (“Boyd”). I would like correct an impression the article, Save a private airport: Pilots can make a difference, April 21 issue, left in the minds of some readers that Clow International Airport (IC5) was developed by Mr. Joe DePaulo and quickly converted to ownership by the Village of Bolingbrook.
Clow International Airport was started in 1957 by Mr. Oliver Boyd Clow. Clow International Airport was one of the first airports in the state of Illinois to receive the Airport of the Year Award, long before the participation of Mr. DePaulo. On a joint nomination by me and Mr. Joe DePaulo (the person featured in your article), Oliver Boyd Clow was inducted into the Illinois Hall of Fame on April 16, 2003. His induction was due in large measure to the fact that by an act of sheer courage, Clow stiffened against the tide of development for more than 20 years and persevered in creating a plan that would foster an airport working hand in hand with its surrounding community and changing environment.
While the final piece of the transition was implemented by the village, that very transition and evolution of Clow International Airport resulted from the planning that originated with and was nurtured by Mr. Clow in the spirit of cooperation with the mayor of Bolingbrook since his first election to office in the 1980s.
It would be a great disservice to the endeavor of aviation to overlook the likes of Mr. Clow.
James E. Saloga
Bolingbrook, Ill.