Bob Clemens on Clarence Mathers

From: Yuan Kang Lee <ykleetx_at_gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 10 May 2011 18:43:27 -0000

I saw this on the free flight mailing list, from Bob Clemens.

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Karl Gies, posting on another forum, said it well:

"Clarence (Mather) is one of the greatest free flight modelers that ever lived." And a true gentleman as well, let me add.

I met Clarence Mather when I was about 14 years old, just about the time the war was ending. He was just out of the Air Force and was a student at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. My dad offered him building space at our house since there was none available in the cramped dorm where he stayed. I was really impressed at his expertise and craftsmanship. He is a natural modeler, much as was the late Jack McGillivray. He and I, along with my brother Jack and my dad, were among the members of a small free flight club. We learned a lot from Clarence, to say nothing of enjoying his inspirational effect. He was a wonderful mentor.

Back then Clarence flew mostly outdoor rubber. He had several canard pusher designs that outflew many of the convenyional ships entered in those late 1940's meets. I was witness to the beginning of his indoor career, watching him fly his first microfilm model and several HLG's in the college fieldhouse. Later Clarence branched out with great success into rubber scale. When my father unexpectedly died in 1946, Clarence stepped forward to take my brother and I to various indoor and outdoor contests, includig the 1947 Nationals in Minnesota.

I last saw Clarence in San Diego when we had dinner together while I was there on a Kodak assignment around 1980. We have kept in touch from time to time since then via letters and e-mail. My memories of those long ago times, building and flying with him, will always be with me. I nominated Clarence for the AMA Hall of Fame in 2004 and was proud to see my friend accepted later that year.

Bob Clemens
Received on Tue May 10 2011 - 11:43:34 CEST