AMA news 2003/09
The Inaugural John A. Zaic Memorial Award
The John A. Zaic Award is a new annual award administered by the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Frank Zaic created it as the result of a donation to AMA by his brother, John. When John died in 2002, he left funds to Frank to recognize aeromodelers who have contributed to the history of model aviation.
As former AMA president and AMA Executive Director, Frank asked me to develop the criteria for the award and help with the selection of recipients. He said that the award was to be made in his brother’s name and that of the late Lt. John W. Alden, a pioneer in the establishment of AMA.
The criteria for the award are “recognition of extraordinary contributions to the progress, promotion, or preservation of aeromodeling in the United States.”
Without the efforts of John W. Alden in the 1930s and Frank Zaic, who produced the first two issues of Model Aviation in 1936, creation of AMA might have been delayed or not even occurred. John, then working for the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in Washington, D.C., believed strongly in developing youth activities in aviation and the need for an organization devoted to that end. John and Frank enlisted the help of full-scale aviation and model-aviation personalities to work with the NAA to create a separate aeromodeling body within the NAA framework of sport aviation interests (ballooning, parachuting, racing, gliding, etc.). When AMA was established in 1936, its first president was Willis Brown. Frank and John remained consultants and advisors but let the new organization grow on its own. They helped steer the organization on the path to success.
John died many years ago, but Frank—now in his 80s—lives with his wife Carmen near her family in Guatemala. They moved there last fall from California for health reasons. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale’s (FAI) Committee for International Aero Modeling (CIAM) awarded the CIAM Gold Medal, FAI’s highest award, to Frank in recognition of his contributions to international aeromodeling. Frank and John came to the United States from Europe in the 1930s.
The first John A. Zaic Award was presented April 4, 2003, at the Weak Signals Toledo show in Ohio. Norman Rosenstock, AMA Historian and chairperson of AMA’s Model Aviation Hall of Fame Selection Committee, received a beautiful plaque created by AMA Headquarters staff and a check for $1,000 to honor his volunteer service.
As AMA Historian, Norm has begun compiling biographies of aeromodelers to assure that those who have contributed to the history of AMA and model aviation are remembered. Norm, who lives in Royal Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife Bella, has been collecting and writing biographies for several years. He has produced several hundred to date on his own, and the effort continues now with the help of AMA Assistant Historian Stacey Shannon.
These biographies are intended to inspire current and future aeromodelers to follow what others have done to help AMA become the greatest aeromodeling organization in the world. The biographies confirm that what others have done is appreciated and remembered, and they will hopefully inspire similar achievements.
In addition to receiving the John A. Zaic Memorial Award, Norm received the AMA Fellowship Award on April 5. AMA president Dave Brown presented the honor at the AMA general membership meeting in Toledo. The two awards are the icing on the cake for Norm. His previous awards—going back 10 years—include:
- AMA Hall of Fame, 1993
- AMA “Keeper of the Flame,” 1998
- Howard McEntee Memorial Medal (for technical RC innovation), 2000
- Vintage R/C Society R/C Hall of Fame, 2000
- AMA Museum’s Historian Award, 2001
- Palm Beach Skyhawks (FL) Plaque and Life Membership, 2003
These reflect a lifetime of dedication and achievement. Norm’s own biography, too extensive to cover here, details the background behind the awards. Since 1932, when he was an eight-year-old beginner in aeromodeling, Norm has built a record of achievement for himself and of service to others. He is a fitting recipient of the first annual John A. Zaic Memorial Award.
—John Worth
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
